Peterborough United manager is sure Ivan Toney will leave before the start of the new season

Toney remains a Posh player for now despite constant speculation about his future.

But Ferguson said: “There’s so much interest in him now I expect he will leave.

“If he doesn’t then fine because he’s a huge talent, but we told him in January that we would let him go in the summer if we didn’t go up and Ivan is ready to leave.

“I was lucky we kept him last season and it’s still the case that the owners don’t have to sell him and they won’t if they don’t get what they want for him.

“But Ivan is in the last year of his contract now so it makes sense to sell him and I expect he will go purely because so many clubs are after him.”

Posh claim a deal has been struck with a Championship club - believed to be Brentford - but that Toney has rejected the move as he holds out for a Premier League club.

Brighton were the first Premier League side to be linked with Toney this summer.