Celtic target Ivan Toney has already rejected the advances of one club this summer, Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry has told Sky Sports on Tuesday.
Interest in the red hot striker appears to be fierce during the current transfer window and Celtic are one of the clubs in the hunt.
The Scottish Daily Mail reported last month that the Scottish champions had a bid rejected for the player.
Now Fry has shared eight teams have been in touch with Posh about Toney, four of which were official bids.
Only one of those was accepted but Toney has turned down the chance to make his move to the English Championship, apparently waiting for a better destination.
As quoted by Sky Sports, Fry said: “We accepted a bid from one club but Toney’s turned it down.
“I’ve had eight clubs get in touch with me, three of those eight made bids but nowhere near what we want so he’s our player. He’ll remain our player until we get the bid that we’ll accept.
“We said to him in January we wouldn’t let him go, that we wanted to get promotion, but if we didn’t get promotion then we would listen to offers. But again we told him, his dad and his agent that unless the deal’s right, he won’t be going anywhere.
“The bid we accepted was from a Championship club and there was a lot of add-ons which was good as well. But for whatever reason Ivan and his representatives have turned it down.”
While Fry and other officials at Peterborough want to play hardball with prospective buying clubs, it’s clear that Toney is holding some sway here when it comes to determining his future.
That could bode well for Celtic.
The Glasgow Times have previously reported that his preferred destination in a choice between Brentford and Celtic was a move to Scotland.
Celtic can hardly be accused of lowballing Peterborough either with two others apparently not reaching their valuation.
Clubs will only pay so much for a player from English League One and as time drags on, a Toney exit on perhaps more favourable terms, seems inevitable.
The striker spoke earlier today about how he is seeking a new challenge.
Whether the Bhoys stay in the hunt for him, after the arrival of Albian Ajeti, is another matter.
I still like the deal though. His 26 goals in 36 games last season suggest he has the clinical touch that could add a spark to the Celtic attack.
A strikeforce of Odsonne Edouard, Ajeti and Toney would be electric in the Scottish Premiership on our quest for ten-in-a-row.
In other news, Celtic coach Gavin Strachan scouted David Turnbull at the weekend and Neil Lennon is said to be weighing up another move for him.
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