Barry Fry does not mince his words; if something needs to be said then the Peterborough supremo is more than happy to say it.
In that sense, nothing is sugar-coated and what you hear is what he thinks – there is no added glitter or wrapping to his words and opinions.
Speaking to Football League World, Fry gives his opinion on what it would cost interested sides to land Brentford star striker Ivan Toney and it isn’t a small amount.
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Ivan Toney – a fire continuing to blaze
Fry and Toney have previous – the hotshot striker having played two seasons at Peterborough where Fry is the Director of Football.
25-year-old Toney was bought by the London Road outfit from Newcastle United for around £350,000 in August 2018. His two seasons at The Posh highlighted just what a goal threat he was.
His 94 games for Peterborough were enough to see him score 49 goals and provide 15 assists for Darren Ferguson’s Cambridgeshire outfit. That level of threat brought Brentford looking and the Bees paid £5m for him last summer.
This season, for Brentford, Toney continues to burn brightly. In 38 appearances for the Bees, Toney has found the back of the net 28 times and has laid on a further 9 assists. That level of production has definitely brought interested parties such as Leeds United and Arsenal to the fore.
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Barry Fry mentions fee he thinks needed for Toney deal
Speaking to FLW, Fry is his usual, candid self when commenting on the value that he thinks Ivan Toney is worth. His first comment was flippant, Fry saying: “Wow. I hope somebody pays £50 million because we’ve got a sell on.”
However, he continued in a more workmanlike tone adding: “Being realistic, I think clubs will have to pay £30-£35 million for him. And if they do they’ve got a bargain in my opinion.”
Naysayers said that Toney wouldn’t make the step up from League One to the Sky Bet Championship; he’s proved those doubters wrong. Now the question is whether he can make the step up to the Premier League.
Barry Fry thinks he can and that £30-£35 million would be a bargain for a side such as Leeds United or Arsenal with both sides needing added depth up front.
