Speaking recently on PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show, Hugh MacDonald discussed Rangers’ ability to attract players from the English leagues, and how Peterborough United’s Ivan Toney views Brentford as a ‘bigger club’ than either of the Old Firm.
24-year-old striker Toney enjoyed a remarkable goalscoring return for Peterborough last season, bagging 24 goals and providing six assists over his 32 appearances in League One, helping his side to a seventh-place finish in the league.
As a result of his fine form, there had been reports of interest from both Rangers and their city rivals in the striker, who is currently valued at £360,000.
However, according to recent claims by journalist Raman Bhardwaj, Brentford are now close to agreeing a deal with Peterborough for the forward, after Celtic had a £5 million bid rejected.
Speaking on PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show, MacDonald discussed the draw – or lack thereof – of the Old Firm to potential new signings, with two of the biggest Scottish Premiership sides struggling to attract Championship and League One players.
He said: “We’re talking about Rangers and Celtic signings, and Scottish signings in general, we’re talking of a certain level – they find it difficult to compete for Championship players.
“They might, in this case, find it very difficult to compete for a League One player, because the boy at Peterborough, the striker, that Celtic and apparently Rangers both fancy, is almost certainly going to go to Brentford.
“Are you going to tell me that Brentford are a bigger club than Celtic and Rangers? No, they’re not. They’re a bigger club for Ivan Toney, because Ivan Toney knows it gives him a shot at playing in the English Premier League.”
TIF Thoughts…
While Brentford are very much a club on the up, with the Bees narrowly missing out on automatic promotion to the Premier League this season in the Championship before falling at the final hurdle in the play-off final to Fulham, it is indeed a strange thought that a League One player would apparently rather sign for a Championship club than make a move to either Rangers or Celtic – both of whom regularly qualify for European football.
Do you think that Rangers are a bigger club than Brentford?
Yes
No
