The Newcastle United icon has urged that the club explore signing Ivan Toney this summer.
It would take a courageous individual to challenge Alan Shearer’s view on any aspect of Newcastle United’s striking position. Brave or incredibly stupid. Some may argue that it is analogous to questioning Colonel Sanders’ perspective in a fried chicken discussion or Donald Trump’s personal opinion on fake tanning products. Nevertheless, here we go. Unlike Shearer, I do not believe the Magpies should try to sign Ivan Toney this summer. There I said it.
To be fair to Shearer, he hasn’t directly stated that Newcastle should focus their emphasis solely on Toney in the coming months. He has, however, made it very plain that he would be delighted if his former side entered the anticipated race for the Brentford talisman’s signature. Indeed, on The Rest Is Football podcast, he stated: “I think he’s a really good player and a really good option.” Newcastle need to improve in that regard, and they need another alternative, therefore I don’t think Toney will have a shortage of suitors.
To some extent, you can comprehend his rationale. Newcastle will most likely require attacking reinforcements at the end of the season, particularly given the continued uncertainty around Callum Wilson’s future at the club, and Toney is expected to be one of the most visible available centre forwards in the Premier League between now and the end of the summer. Brentford appear to have accepted his impending departure, and a number of traditional top six clubs have been tipped as potential suitors.
Furthermore, he is unquestionably a strong finisher. At the time of writing, he has 35 goals in 72 Premier League appearances, a strike rate of little under one every two games, and since returning from a lengthy gambling-related ban, he has scored three in four for the Bees. It’s little wonder he’s so popular.
However, he may not be the perfect man for Newcastle. There are several reasons why this is the case. The first consideration is cost. Even realistic estimates suggest Brentford will demand roughly £80 million for their top player, and if a bidding battle breaks out, who knows how much he would ultimately fetch. Given the Magpies’ continual Financial Fair Play pressures, as well as the necessity to recruit in multiple areas during the summer transfer window, a more cost-effective option would undoubtedly be preferred.
Then there’s Toney’s age. At 27 years old (28 in a month), he is in the peak of his career, but he does not suit the typical profile of a PIF signing at St. James’ Park. In general, and especially in recent years, Newcastle’s Saudi owners have tended to bring in players who are just a little bit younger and hence have a good prospective resale value. Nothing is certain, of course, but if all goes well, this will be Toney’s lone actual big money move.
This brings us to one final point. Toney is clearly ambitious, and you get the impression that he is determined to join a team that will provide him with regular Champions League action. Newcastle currently cannot. Barring a minor miracle, they will miss out on the top four this season, and considering the strength of their opponents, they may fall short again next season. With that in mind, is Toney ready to wait until he is 30 to compete in Europe’s elite competition? Perhaps not.
Of course, you can understand why Shearer would think that Toney would be a ‘nice choice’ for his beloved Toon this summer. However, this would be far from a match made in Heaven.
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