Peterborough United boss doesn’t want Ivan Toney to become a distraction and he reveals what sort of striker he wants to replace him

Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson is adamant the Ivan Toney transfer saga must not disrupt the start of the League One season.
Ivan Toney during pre-season training with Posh.Ivan Toney during pre-season training with Posh.
Ivan Toney during pre-season training with Posh.

Every day there is a twist or an update concerning Toney’s future, but for now the 24 year-old is training with Posh.

Ferguson won’t play Toney in any of the club’s first few pre-season friendlies, but he could be involved towards the end of August if his expected transfer out of the club still hasn’t happened.

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Celtic, Rangers, Brentford and Brighton are among the clubs to have shown an interest in a player who scored 26 goals in a shortened 2019-20 season.

Darren FergusonDarren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson

Ferguson, who made his first summer signing last week (July 30) in goalkeeper Dan Gyollai, also revealed some of the characteristics of the forwards he’s targeted to replace Toney.

Ferguson said: “We will have to wait and see with Ivan and it could be a distraction if his situation rumbles on. That wouldn’t be ideal.

“It would be better if things were resolved quickly, but the owners quite rightly won’t sell him unless they get the right price so it could be we end up with the best striker in League One playing for us at the start of the season so I’m quite relaxed about it.

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“Ivan won’t play in the first friendlies, but if he is still here as the new season approaches I will have to play him.

“I can’t sign anyone until he leaves which again is not ideal as I would want as much time as possible with the player we bring in to replace him.

“We have targets in mind and certainly the top two will have the same level of physicality that Ivan brought to the team. We need that because our other strikers, Mo Eisa, Siriki Dembele and Ricky-Jade Jones have different skills.

“It’s still early days. The transfer window has only just opened and the Championship season hasn’t yet finished, but I will seek maybe one or two central midfielders as well as a new striker if Ivan has gone.

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“Our recruitment last season was done with this season in mind no matter what division we were playing in so 90% of the squad I want is already here.

“It would be great if the players we had here on loan last season returned as they know how we work and how we play, but we are a long way off that happening right now.

“One or two current players may move on, but others will have a chance in pre-season to prove they are worthy of a shirt.

“I believe we will be one of the most stable clubs in League One next season and we will certainly be stable financially with the right price for Ivan.”

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Posh are trying to sign Huddersfield midfielder Reece Brown on loan after he impressed at London Road last season. Another loan star of last season, Sammie Szmodics, is awaiting the arrival of a new manager at Bristol City.