Why Ivan Toney would be a smart long-term investment for Burnley

According to a report from the Sun, Burnley and Bournemouth are among a host of clubs who are all prepared to pay £9m for Peterborough striker Ivan Toney. However, Peterborough have slapped a £13m price-tag on their star.

Ivan Toney, 23, has scored 35 goals in 75 games since his move from Newcastle to Peterborough United last summer – and has bagged 12 already this season. His goalscoring exploits for League One promotion-chasers Posh has seen attract interest from Bristol City, Cardiff City, Derby County and Middlesbrough as well, the report adds.

With the 23-year-old in red-hot form since the start of the 2019/20 season, Burnley must do everything possible to win the race for Toney’s signature in January.

After 12 Premier League games, Burnley find themselves at 10th place in the Premier League with 15 points on board. They ended the three-match losing run at the weekend by beating West Ham 3-0 at the Turf Moor. Sean Dyche will hope his team starts gaining some momentum after the international break.

The Clarets have once again been heavily dependent on Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood for goals. Barnes and Wood have 5 each this campaign, which is more than half of the goals scored by Burnley.

As a back-up, Dyche has Jay Rodriguez and Matej Vydra in his squad, but with the latter proving to be one of the worst buys in recent years, the Lancashire-based outfit could do well by signing a striker in the New Year.

And Ivan Toney would be a good fit at Turf Moor. He has been a revelation since leaving St. James’ Park for Peterborough United. The 5ft 10in striker has scored 12 goals in 17 league games this season and sits on top of the League One scoring charts.

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Having shown his poaching qualities since leaving the Magpies last summer, albeit in a lower division, Toney would be a smart signing for Burnley.

With Barnes, Wood and Rodriguez vying for a place in the starting XI, the Clarets have a decent attack. However, Toney could prove to be an excellent long-term investment for Dyche’s side.

Verdict

It remains to be seen whether the 23-year-old is ready to make the step up to the Premier League. All in all, the acquisition of Toney would be a good way for Burnley to freshen things up and this looks like a move that could pay rich dividends in the future.