But they have started planning for life without the big man with potential replacaments already identified. Posh will make Toney the most lucrative contract offer in the club’s history if they are playing Championship football next season, but accept they will lose him if they are still in League One.
Posh could easily receive £10 million for Toney if football club finances survive the current pandemic which might even buy two new strikers!
The Peterborough Telegraph asked Posh fans to throw up some candidates to fill Toney’s considerable shoes. We then invited football data analyst James Mayley (aka @ReportPosh on Twitter) and Scottish football expert Kevin Swann (@SwannyEDB) to add their opinions.
Former Posh players, and one current player, were suggested as were current League One hotshots and reserve team players at Premier League and Championship clubs, sons of famous fathers and young prodigies who have rather lost their way.
We’ve run the rule over the main candidates here.
1.
JACK MARRIOTT: Current club: Derby. It’s lovely to think that the Posh scoring hero of the 2017-18 season would return to London Road and I suppose if Posh are playing Championship football by then there would be an outside chance. But Marriott reportedly earned a sixfold increase in salary when joining the Rams so that’s an immediate and obvious stumbling block. Besides you could see him playing very effectively alongside Toney thanks to his pace and clinical finishing, but he’s far from a direct replacement. His 33 goals in one Posh season should never be forgotten, but the man himself isn’t the answer. Photo: Midlands
2.
ARMAND GNANDUILLET: Current club: Blackpool. The big Frenchman is as physically imposing as Toney and he’s enjoying the best scoring season of his career with Blackpool with 18 goals. He certainly terrorised Posh in that crazy 4-3 game at Bloomfield Road earlier this season, but I’m not sure Darren Ferguson would fancy him. Toney is a big man, but he also boasts an excellent technical all-round game which is something Gnanduillet lacks. Gnanduillet is also 28 which will count against him, but he is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and if Posh are still in League One he could be worth a punt. Photo: Midlands
3.
TYLER WALKER. Current club: Nottingham Forest. Walker, the son of former England defender Des, played and scored against Posh (albeit a fluke thanks to a huge deflection) while on loan at Lincoln earlier this season, but he didn’t really impress. He looked lazy rather than industrious and he appeared to be selfish, which is not necessarily a bad thing in a striker. Walker is 23 now and not threatening to get into the Forest first team so he could become available, but if Posh are to persevere with club record signing Mo Eisa, it’s unlikely they would pair him up with Walker. Eisa is an out-and-out finisher so needs someone to create chances for him and that is not a strength of Walker, although I suspect Ferguson would improve him. Photo: Worthing
4.
MATT GODDEN. Current club: Coventry City. Godden enjoyed a fine 18-goal 2018-19 season with Posh before he was sold to Coventry where he’s enjoyed a superb 15-goal campaign for the team likely to win League One. It’s unlikely Godden has improved, but rather he’s a found a club who dominate possession is a far better fit than a Posh side who have become experts at playing on the counter attack. To re-integrate Godden Posh would need to change the way they play thus reducing the impact of Siriki Dembele for one. Godden is another who is 28 and Posh like to be able to sell on their strikers at big profit. Photo: Worthing