West Ham have positioned themselves as one of the front runners to seal a deal for Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the summer transfer window.

As reported in Caught Offside, Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg recently provided an update into West Ham’s hunt for Brentford talisman Ivan Toney, reporting that the club have started conversations with Toney over a potential summer move.

Toney’s price tag, once touted at around £100 million, seems now to have greatly decreased. Current reports suggest that Brentford could be open to a deal for around the £30-40 million mark. The England international, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League last season, is heavily linked with a move away from Brentford in the summer transfer window, with his current contract due to expire next year.

Since coming back from his ban for breaching betting rules, Toney has made 5 goals contributions in 12 starts. His impact for Thomas Frank’s side since his return has only added to the number of teams hoping to get a deal over the line for the striker this summer.

In recent years, West Ham have struggled to nail down a proper recognised number nine, with substantial deals for the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, and previously Sebastian Haller, ultimately proving unsuccessful. Michail Antonio has been David Moyes’ go to striker over recent seasons, however this season the 34 year old has suffered injury problems, having a 3 month stint out on the sidelines.

Antonio’s contract expires next year, Jarrod Bowen is currently injured, although the England international has largely performed exceptionally up front for the Hammers this season, number nine is not his natural position. Come the summer, should he still be in charge, manager David Moyes desperately needs to bolster his attacking options, particularly in regards to the depth of strikers at his disposal.

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