Ivan Toney is currently suspended from playing football due to his rather impressive breech of gambling rules. However, the 27-year-old striker is not suspended from the ceaseless transfer rumor mill, so naturally he is being linked away.
Toney is being linked with a £60M move from Brentford to Liverpool, which seems unlikely on any number of fronts.
First of all, that is a big outlay for a striker who will be 28 by the time he is eligible to kick a ball in a competitive game of footy. His age, while not “old,” is another sticking point; the Reds have stuck to a relatively narrow age profile when recruiting new attackers, all of whom were younger than 28 when arriving.
It is also not clear that Toney would strengthen Liverpool’s considerable attacking prowess, even if Mohamed Salah does move on at the end of the campaign.
Lastly, while he is set to return to competitive football, it would be a risk for any club to bring in Toney considering the likelihood that he continues betting on football, thereby opening the door for further suspensions. Gambling is an addiction, and while we hope Toney has learned his lesson and overcomes it, betting on him is, well, not a smart bet.
Alternatively, Chelsea are also linked, because of course they are. I hope they sign him to yet another 178 year contract.
