Phil Foden says 27-year-old player is ‘one of the best’ in the air, after Newcastle links

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Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has praised former Newcastle United striker Ivan Toney, amid rumours that the Magpies could look to bring him back to St James’ Park.

Newcastle sold Ivan Toney to Peterborough United back in 2018, and the forward has massively kicked on since the Magpies let him go.

He excelled for the Posh, earning him a move to Brentford. His goals got them to the Premier League, and now he is one of the division’s top strikers.

There was even speculation that Toney could receive a big money transfer in January, which would have been good news for Newcastle. That is because of a sell-on clause that they included when they sold him.

But there have also been tentative rumours about a return to St James’ Park. Toney was named as a target for Newcastle by iNews back in late September, while his name featured in a recent article by the Athletic where they listed potential attacking recruits this summer.

Phil Foden says Ivan Toney is great in the air

Toney has been impressive since returning from his ban, scoring twice so far. He also played a big role in Brentford taking the lead against Manchester City on Monday night. The Bees went on to lose 3-1, with Foden scoring all three goals. However, the hat-trick hero was very complimentary towards Toney after the final whistle.

“We know the quality they [Brentford] have,” he told Sky Sports.

“[Ivan] Toney is one of the best in winning aerial duels, we knew the threat he would have. They are a fantastic team and we had to react and we did that well and I’m delighted with the outcome of the game.”

Newcastle could do with an aerial threat like Toney

Toney is so strong in the air, and that is largely down to his size and power. He is so difficult for defenders to handle, as Nathan Ake found out on Monday night.

That kind of strength in the air would be welcome at Newcastle, as Toon fans love a big centre forward powering home a header. We would love to see Alexander Isak do it more often, but he has admitted in the past that his heading ability is not his strongest asset.

That is perhaps why Toney could be a good partner for him, if Newcastle do decide to reignite their interest this summer. That will largely depend on what happens with Callum Wilson, who could potentially leave at the end of the season.

Toney would be an amazing replacement, but also a very costly one. But he is obviously a player who Newcastle like, and someone they wish the previous regime had not sold.