Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has played down the financial windfall his club hoped to gain from Ivan Toney’s move from Brentford to Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli.
Toney, a six-time England international, made headlines when he completed his transfer to the Saudi Pro League outfit at the close of the summer transfer window. The 28-year-old striker, who had been linked with top Premier League clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea, moved for a reported fee of £40 million. While many had speculated that a higher fee could have been commanded, Toney’s eight-month ban for breaching betting rules is believed to have affected the final price.
Peterborough had inserted a significant sell-on clause when they sold Toney to Brentford back in 2020. However, despite hopes of a hefty payout, MacAnthony was quick to temper expectations. Speaking to talkSPORT, the Peterborough chairman said, “The Ivan Toney deal is done, did we earn the millions we thought we would a year ago or 18 months ago? No.”
He added, “We’re going to have to wait like four years to get paid. It wasn’t in sterling, it was in euros, believe it or not, so by the time I got the deal sheet yesterday, looking at it I actually expected it was going to be along those lines.”
Despite the disappointment of the reduced payday, MacAnthony was pragmatic about the situation. “I was never overly excited come the deadline. I didn’t actually think he was going to go, so I’d written that off about a week ago,” he explained. “The lack of interest from other clubs and the whole Saudi thing, and the fella from Napoli [Victor Osimhen linked with Al Hilal], I thought ‘you know what, this is probably going to go one way’ and that would be him being sold for a pittance in January.”
For Peterborough, the outcome was less than ideal, but MacAnthony remained philosophical. “Something was better than nothing, but I think the gold bullions that everyone thinks we made, I think we’ve got to wait four years for the money over time. It is what it is, it’s another nice bit of business by our football club, and we move on.”
Peterborough’s director of football, Barry Fry, had earlier suggested that a sale in the region of £100 million could have netted the club over £10 million, which is why there had been some hope for a more substantial payout. Fry had even compared the prospect of Toney’s sale to “winning the lottery” for the League One side.
Toney’s performances over the last few seasons have certainly justified such optimism. He netted 12 goals in his debut Premier League campaign in 2021/22 and followed that up with 20 goals last season, finishing behind only Harry Kane and Erling Haaland in the scoring charts. This had fuelled speculation that Premier League giants like Chelsea and Arsenal might engage in a bidding war for his services, particularly given the need for a proven striker at both clubs.
Reflecting on this, MacAnthony expressed his surprise that Premier League clubs didn’t make a more serious move for Toney. “I’m still gutted that nobody thought £30m-£40m was worth the punt for a player with his ability. Players like him always go longer in their careers at his age, so I was never worried about him being 28,” he said. “I honestly thought he’d be a difference maker at an Arsenal.”
He also shared his views on Manchester United’s transfer business. “You spend £100 million on two young pups who couldn’t hit a barn door [referring to Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Højlund],” MacAnthony said. “You could have had Ivan Toney for a fraction of that and have a Premier League striker leading your line.”
Despite his frustrations with the outcome, MacAnthony was keen to move on, acknowledging that it had been a long saga. “I’m not disappointed,” he said. “Would it have been nice if he went for £100 million before the whole betting scandal broke out? Absolutely. But we move on. It’s been exhausting so good luck to him in Saudi.”
When asked how much Peterborough are likely to make from the deal, MacAnthony admitted he wasn’t sure of the exact figure yet. “I got the deal sheet sent to me and three minutes ago it’s popped up in an email so I have no idea, I’ll find out shortly,” he said. “It’s over, we didn’t factor it in so it’s bonus money. We had a £6 million hole going into the season and we’ve wiped it out this summer, so we’re in good stead, and all our bills are paid for the next 12 months.”
Our View
In hindsight, it’s clear that Peterborough were never going to see the massive payday they’d hoped for from Ivan Toney’s move, especially after his betting ban. While fans and pundits alike might have speculated about a blockbuster transfer to a Premier League giant, the reality is that the Saudi Pro League offers a new dynamic to the transfer market – and not always one that benefits smaller clubs like Peterborough.
That said, MacAnthony’s pragmatic attitude is refreshing. Yes, they could have made more money, but securing any funds through a sell-on clause is still a bonus for a League One club. The four-year wait for payment might be frustrating, but in the end, it’s money they weren’t banking on. If nothing else, Peterborough’s business acumen in securing that sell-on clause in the first place shows that smaller clubs can still benefit from the big-money moves that characterise modern football.
Leave a Reply