David Sullivan can pull off a masterstroke in the summer transfer window by completing a deal that would see prolific Brentford striker Ivan Toney to join West Ham United.

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, the Hammers hope their Deadline Day agreement that will see defender Winston Reid spend the remainder of the season at Griffin Park will help in any future efforts to sign Toney.

Reid’s move to the Championship side is the second piece of business carried out between the two clubs this season, following Said Benrahma’s initial loan deal which the Irons turned into a permanent move last week after bringing forward a £20m obligation to buy.

West Ham now reportedly hope that sending Reid to Thomas Frank’s side will place the London Stadium outfit in good stead with the Bees, should they look to formalise their interest in Toney in a future window.

Toney has been in sublime form with his Greater London outfit this term, netting 19 goals in 25 Championship games and Brentford will hope that he can help them secure promotion to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old ended his longest league drought in front of the net this season by scoring a hat-trick during the Bees’ 7-2 win over Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, having gone five second-tier fixtures without scoring for the first time since moving to Griffin Park last summer.

Brentford paid Peterborough an initial £5m last August in a deal that could reach £10m through add-ons, but they are now said to value the Northampton-born marksman at £30m.

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Should West Ham sign Toney?

Toney may have proven to be the perfect pick-up for West Ham in the winter market after the Irons parted with Sebastien Haller, but they will seemingly have to wait until at least the summer when co-owner and Chairman Sullivan could deliver a masterstroke by acquiring the forward.

Toney has taken to filling the void left by Ollie Watkins and Benrahma at Griffin Park without a second thought, and he boasts more goals than any other player in the Championship this season.

Brentford had lost the second-tier’s second-best striker in Watkins when the striker joined Aston Villa for £33m after scoring 25 league goals last term, while Benrahma’s move to the London Stadium saw the Bees also part with the fifth-top scorer (17 goals) from 2019/20.

Part of Toney’s success has come through what Frank describes as his “inner drive and determination” to reach the top and prove people wrong, after failing to make the grade at Newcastle United.

It has also helped Toney to produce “brilliant” displays in the eyes of the Bees boss, while former England international Darren Bent feels the 5 ft 10 hitman – previously linked with Everton – is a better finisher than both Watkins and Brighton’s £16m striker Neal Maupay.

“His movement is absolutely superb. Senses where the danger is going to be and gets himself in there. He’s good in the air and he has two good feet,” Bent said, via quotes by talkSPORT. “But where I think he excels (compared) to an Ollie Watkins and a Maupay is that I think he’s more clinical.

“In and around that box with his finishing. I think he’s more cultured to his finishing. He has got more to his game and there are different types of finishes. Whereas Watkins is a very, very good player and he might say that he’s a little bit better than him all round. But in and around the goal, if I give them both an opportunity to score a goal, then I fancy Ivan Toney.”

It will likely take a lot to prise Toney away from Brentford if they manage to secure promotion to the Premier League, but The Bees failing to do so could lead to Sullivan delivering a great signing if Reid’s loan spell at Griffin Park does prove beneficial in West Ham’s future efforts.

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