As Celtic bid for star striker is rejected, Peterborough United co-owner says: ‘Don’t bother me with insulting offers for Ivan Toney’

Posh expect to lose the 24 year-old before the new League One season kicks off on September 12, but he won’t be leaving for the sort of fee bandied about in the media over the last few days.

The Scottish press were sent into overdrive last night (July 28) when MacAnthony admitted on social media that a Scottish club had made a bid for Toney.

That bid was £5 million plus add ons from Scottish Premier League champions Celtic according to the media which is around half of what Posh are demanding for a striker who scored 26 goals in a shortened season in 2019-20. Posh director of football Barry Fry today revealed a bid from Celtic was turned down, but did not disclose the size of the offer.

And if they don’t get what they want Posh are prepared to hang on to their prize asset.

“We have a player everyone in the country wants,” MacAnthony, speaking on his popular ‘Hard Truth’ podcast, stated. “Where he will go I have no idea, but in time he’ll probably become a multi-millionaire.

“We have big clubs in the Premier League and the Championship after him and we have some up and coming clubs in the mix as well.

“Some of the figures I’m reading in the press though are insulting. I don’t know where those figures come from. They are nonsense. Journalists maybe, agents possibly or maybe clubs who are trying to buy Ivan leak it out themselves.

“I would ask that no-one tries to take the mickey out of us. You have to know who you are dealing with. This is not my first rodeo. I know how to operate.

“I am transparent in my negotiations. We have a fee in mind for Ivan and when a club reaches that number they can talk to him.

“And I won’t renege on a deal. If someone offers more than a fee I’d already agreed with a different club I would accept that offer also, but let the player decide where he wants to go.

“We agreed a fee for a player a couple of seasons ago, but the selling club pulled out of the deal because they received a bigger offer from a different club. That’s wrong and I’d never pull out of a deal like that.

“It’s difficult to get the fee you want when there’s only one club interested, but it becomes a lot easier when there are multiple clubs after him.

“Good strikers are like dinosaurs. They are an endangered species.”

Fry added: “We received a bid for Ivan from Celtic and we turned them down flat. It will take a lot more than they offered.

“It’s their first bid, so I don’t know, they might come back. They, and Ivan know, that if he helps us to the Championship that’s worth £12.5 million to us.”

Posh declined to confirm a report earlier this week that one club - believed to be Brentford - had reached their valuation. It’s more likely the Bees would wait to see if their promotion push to the Premier League was successful. They are involved in a play-off match tonight (Wednesday).

Premier League Brighton are also believed to be interested in Toney.