In an interview to Read Celtic, former Premiership ace Sam Parkin has tipped Peterborough striker Ivan Toney to be available for purchase for a price as low as £5m this summer. Although the former Chelsea man took the names of Leeds United and West Brom as the clubs where he would fit in; a previous report by the Daily Record had suggested that there are bigger clubs after his signature. While Celtic are said to be watching the forward with intent, RB Leipzig are claimed to be considering him as a potential replacement for Timo Werner.
The Daily Record have confirmed that Celtic are interested in Ivan Toney, and Parkin’s words to Read Celtic will come as added motivation to the Scottish side. He said, “He’s on the way to being that type of player who can devastate in the box, he’s not electric in terms of his pace but he has clever movement and his hold up is the best around. I felt he would be perfect for Leeds, West Brom in January. With a year left on his contract, they’re not going to be able to command anywhere near what they were talking about previously, but I think if they could get even £5m, for him now, I think they’d have to consider that as a very good deal considering the length of his contract and the times we live in.”
What Is Celtic’s Current Situation In The Central Striker’s Role?
Neil Lennon’s Celtic side were undoubtedly the most dominant team in the Premiership this season, and that was apparent to see all through the second half of the season. French forward Odsonne Edouard was the biggest presence in the Celtic front-line, and his goals were single-handedly responsible for creating such a large gap between themselves and the chasing pack. Apart from Edouard though, finding a prolific goalscorer in this Celtic team is a task. Leigh Griffiths and Patryk Klimala are the alternates, but neither of them comes anywhere close to Edouard’s level. With the uncertainty surrounding the former PSG man’s future as well, a striker purchase is well in order.
What Makes Ivan Toney An Attractive Prospect For Celtic?
The Peterborough striker has been in red hot form over the last couple of seasons for the League 1 side, and although his exploits have been pivotal to their progress, they’ve realised that keeping him will be impossible. The forward has played in 32 League 1 games for Peterborough this season – a period during which the prolific Englishman notched up a quite stellar record of 24 goals and six assists. Even last season, Toney displayed blistering form all through the campaign, finishing with 16 goals and seven assists to his name at the end of the year.
Although this time the case is different, the forward’s previous seasons before the switch to Peterborough were average at best. He’d never scored more than ten league goals in a single term prior to his move to the Weston Homes Stadium.
What he lacks in pace, the Englishman more than makes up for with his positioning as well as predatory instincts in the box. A deadly finisher of the ball in the final third, Toney even offers an excellent physical presence while attacking set-piece situations. Toney’s most prominent strength though is without a doubt his ability hold up the ball and bring his teammates into the game.
Celtic Are Interested In Ivan Toney: Should Lennon Look To Snap Him Up?
For starters, the fact that Parkin has tipped the forward to be available for as little as £5m will come as a massive boost to the Parkhead club. The Coronavirus pandemic has left a majority of the world’s football entities under challenging situations, and Celtic are sure to have problems of their own.
Toney has been a proper talisman for the League 1 side over the last two seasons, and his exploits have been turning heads all over the continent. At 24, Toney would fit into the Celtic system quite satisfactorily, and if Edouard does decide to depart this season, signing the former Newcastle man could turn out to be an impressive coup by Lennon’s side.
