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.
5.
LAWRENCE SHANKLAND. Current club: Dundee Utd. Posh might be wary of taking anyone else from Scottish football but an impressive goals-per-game ratio from a 24 year-old shouldn’t be ignored. My Scottish football supporting relative, Kevin Swann, told me about Shankland and another Scottish suggestion, Kevin Nisbet of Dunfermline: “Both should be very decent for League One but the Championship would be a gamble. Shankland is goals, goals, goals. Nisbet is a power house all rounder. Hibs were rumoured to be close to a deal for Nisbet in January and he would likely be considerably less expensive!” Shankland has 24 goals in 26 games in the Scottish Championship this season. Nisbett has 18 in 25 games. | PA Wire Photo: PA
6.
BEN BRERETON. Club: Blackburn Rovers. The Forest fan in the PT office has been raving about Brereton ever since he burst onto the scene at the City Ground as a teenager. Brereton certainly looked big and strong back then, but, to dip into horse racing parlance, he doesn’t appear to have trained on, even after a £7 million move to Blackburn. His goals-per-game average is very modest. but he’s spent his entire career so far in the Championship, and usually on the substitutes’ bench. Posh will get a sizeable fee for Toney, but the probablity of spending a big chunk of it on a talented, but as yet unproven, 21 year-old is low. Brereton would be a League One asset, but an unaffordable one just now. Photo: SUN_15/01/2019_breretonwoodman.J
7.
STEPHEN HUMPHRYS. Current club: Southend. James Mayley says: “Very hard to judge a player in the Southend side as they’re so bad! However, when you run any data-based searches that’s scaled or based on contribution rather than outright numbers he’s a fairly big outlier. Humphrys is physically strong and good in the air. He’s a good player in a very poor side and would make a very good League One player in a better side. A good goalscorer who, like Toney, you can use as a target man to build off, although technically he’s not as good or mobile. Otherwise he’s a very good fit.” | 2017 Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Europe
8.
GEORGE HIRST. Current club: Leicester City. This 21-year-old forward, the son of Sheffield Wednesday legend David Hirst, has long been touted as a star of the future. James Mayley says: "He’s the player with the skillset that best matches Toney, decent pace, excellent in air, good technique, good dribbler and can run in behind or drop deep and link play, and can also fulfil Toney’s role at defensive corners. Big question mark is whether or not he is ready to play 40+ League One games. He’s still a bit skinny, but pair him with Fergie’s talent for developing strikers and it would be criminal if he didn’t become at least a top Championship striker in two years. For me the risk is worth the reward, but I think Posh will see him too high risk!” | jpress Photo: atex.scriptmanager