BARNSLEY, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 24: Ivan Toney of Brentford looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Barnsley and Brentford at Oakwell Stadium on November 24, 2020 in Barnsley, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
According to Calciomercato (h/t Liverpool Echo), Everton have narrowed their sights down to forward Ivan Toney of Brentford. There is, however, no further details of whether the Toffees are willing to move for him in January itself or wait until next summer.
Ivan Toney shot to prominence at Northampton Town in League Two before earning a move to Newcastle United but he made only a couple of Premier League appearances for the Magpies.
The Northampton-born striker spent time on loan at Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Scunthorpe United, and Wigan Athletic, all in League One, before joining Peterborough United on a permanent deal back in the summer of 2018.
The 24-year-old has been quite unstoppable since then, plundering an astonishing 49 goals in 94 appearances for the London Road outfit. That includes 26 goals in 39 games last term. He has kept up his goalscoring form this season after moving to Brentford. In 16 EFL Championship appearances, he has scored 14 goals and assisted 2 more.
Even the most ardent of Everton fans wouldn’t have expected Dominic Calvert-Lewin to perform at this rate this season. The English forward has bagged an astonishing 11 goals in 11 league games as Everton still try to regain some of their early-season form.
However, the fact that his backup is just Cenk Tosun should be a bit worrying. The Turkish striker last scored for the club back in March 2019. It shows that the club need another competent and prolific striker this season if they are to finish anywhere near the top spots or get a crack at European football.
Enter Ivan Toney. The Brentford man has been in sensational form over the last few seasons, performing in the lower tiers of English football. However, he has shown that he is capable of making the step up with his goals in the Championship. Yes, the Premier League is a whole different ball game but there is a good chance that Toney can flourish.
Everton need to get Toney in as soon as they can because they have been struggling over the last few games. They need someone who can ease the goalscoring burden off Calvert-Lewin. After all, he has featured in pretty much every game this season. Toney can be a fine addition to their forward line and act as an able deputy for Calvert-Lewin.
