Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney could be set to sign for a shock side at the end of the season as an unexpected Premier League side take the lead in the race for his signature.
It has been no secret that Toney sees his future away from Brentford, with the forward almost always subtly mentioning he expects to move on when faced with questions from the media.
The 28-year-old has been at the London club since 2020 and was integral in their eventual promotion to the Premier League after flirting with the prospect of top-flight football for several seasons prior to their 2021 play-off victory.
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Toney has only fairly recently returned to Premier League action after serving an eight-month ban from football due to gambling charges. The Englishmen eventually returned from the sidelines against Nottingham Forest in January, scoring a cleverly placed free-kick in a 3-2 win.
Toney has now scored four goals and provided one assist since his highly anticipated comeback, and earned his second England appearance which he capped with a goal from the spot.
It almost feels a certainty Toney will move on from Brentford in the summer with clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Man United all reportedly interested. However, according to reports from Pete O’Rourke, it's shockingly West Ham who are in pole position to sign the player.
Speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, O’Rourke said: “There’s now a good chance that Ivan Toney could end up at West Ham. It would be a statement signing.
“We know they have been lacking a number nine for a couple of seasons now.
“There’s a lot of talk about Arsenal being interested in Toney but my understanding is that their interest has cooled and they’re looking at other targets," He added.
West Ham may seem like an odd choice, but having won European silverware last season and well in the race for a European spot this campaign a switch to the Hammers could give Toney the move he craves while remaining the main man.