Pundit reveals why Newcastle should pay bumper fee and bring Ivan Toney back to St James’ Park
Noel Whelan believes former Newcastle striker Ivan Toney would be a ‘good choice’ for a return to the club, if Eddie Howe is still in the market for another forward.
Rumours persist that Toon boss Howe is looking to add another striker to his ranks, especially with Chris Wood’s long-term future at St James’ Park coming into question.
Wood scored just twice in 17 Premier League outings after joining the club from Burnley in January. However, it appears that Wood’s exit damaged a Clarets side that were eventually relegated more than his arrival boosted a Newcastle side who comfortably stayed up in the end.
And it Wood does depart, that would leave Callum Wilson as Howe’s only senior striker after Dwight Gayle joined Stoke.
Toney, meanwhile, is being linked with the likes of Manchester United and West Ham, as well as a return to Tyneside.
Reports claim an offer in the region of £40million could be enough to prise the player away from Brentford.
Toney, who has three years remaining on his Brentford contract, scored 14 goals in 37 games last season.
And Whelan has once again compared Toney to former Newcastle and Manchester United frontman Andy Cole.
The former England frontman scored 68 goals for the Magpies between 1993 and 1995.
Toney a good fit for Newcastle
And Whelan thinks Toney would thrive back on Tyneside, telling Football Insider: “He’s a goalscorer, and he’s proved that in the Premier League.
“He’s proved he can get into double figures, and he’s got that proven track record from penalties too.
“I’ve said before, he could be like an Andy Cole. He’s got very similar attributes in the box.
“If you give him the service, he will score goals. He’d be a good choice for Newcastle. He’d get the service he needs now that they’ve got wing-backs who love to get nice and high.”
At this stage, it appears that Brentford will do everything in their power to stop Toney’s potential exit.
However, if they receive an astronomical offer then their heads could be turned. It just remains to be seen whether Newcastle would even entertain a return for their former forward.
Toney failed to score in four senior appearances for the Magpies and was sold to Peterborough in August 2018.
