It is no secret that Brentford have a knack for finding talent. The West London club’s scouting system is renowned for being hugely successful, and it appears the Bees have found another gem.
With last season’s top scorer Ollie Watkins leaving for Aston Villa, Brentford were in need of a striker to replace Watkin’s goals.
Thomas Frank signed Ivan Toney from Peterborough United for an undisclosed fee during the summer transfer window, and he is already proving to be an excellent acquisition.
The 24-year-old failed to score against Birmingham and Huddersfield in the first two games of the season, but after opening his account against Millwall, the floodgates well and truly opened.
Three straight braces against Preston, Coventry and Sheffield Wednesday have seen Toney take his tally to seven goals in six Championship games this season.
His double against the Owls even saw him overtake Mohamed Salah as the highest scorer in England’s top four divisions in 2020, with 17 league goals this calendar year.
Following numerous loan spells as a Newcastle youngster, Toney spent two seasons with Peterborough, scoring 49 goals in 94 games in all competitions.
He netted a whopping 24 goals in 32 league games last season before the League One campaign was cut short due to the pandemic, finishing nine goals ahead of his nearest challenger.
Toney possesses all the right attributes to become a top-level striker. He is quick, strong, good in the air and a lethal finisher.
If Brentford’s recent track record of developing forwards is anything to go by, Toney is likely to be playing at the highest level in the not too distant future.
In 2014, Andre Grey was signed from Luton Town for £500k before being sold to Burnley a year later for £12m.
Neal Maupay joined from French side Saint-Etienne for £1.8m in 2017, with Brighton paying £20m for the Frenchman in 2019.
This summer, Brentford sold Ollie Watkins to Aston Villa for £33m, having paid Exeter City just £1.8m for the striker back in 2017.
If Toney continues to score goals at an alarming rate, he will surely earn himself a move to the Premier League in the coming years.