‘Gamble’: Pundit warns West Ham not to sign £10m striker

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West Ham United have been linked with Ivan Toney in recent weeks.

According to Eurosport, the Hammers have been keeping tabs on the Brentford striker with a view to a summer move.

David Moyes opted against making a direct replacement for Sebastien Haller last month and are instead taking their time to find the right man at the right price when the market reopens, added the report.

Toney has enjoyed a superb maiden season for Brentford since his £10million move from Peterborough, registering 23 goals and nine assists in just 29 Championship games and helping the Bees to second in the table.

Despite such an impressive tally, Danny Murphy is unconvinced that a striker who was playing third-tier football with Posh not long ago would be a good shout for the Hammers.

“Toney is unproven. It would be a lot to shell out on a man who hasn’t scored in any top flight,”  he told talkSPORT (16 February, 4pm).

“I’d rather say to Bowen ‘you have a go down the middle’ because he’ll get goals. He knows where the back of the net is… I wouldn’t be taking that gamble (on Toney).

“Watkins is a good example but there are probably lots of examples of players who’ve come from the Championship who haven’t done what Watkins has done.”

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Brentford got themselves a bargain in Toney for an initial £5million plus another £5million in potential add-ons, and who knows how much they’d get for him if a top-tier club moved for him.

That said, he has shown he’s most certainly a cut above in the second tier, with a ridiculous goal tally and even some assists to boot, plus he’s young and has a lot more room to grow as a player.

West Ham would be left kicking themselves if another club swoops in and Toney ends up bossing the Premier League.