New York Red Bulls: Rejected Ivan Toney bid a step in right direction

The New York Red Bulls reportedly had a £4 million bid for Peterborough United striker Ivan Toney rejected. While failing to sign him may be disappointing, it is a major step in the right direction for a team that has been unwilling to invest.

Few teams have been more successful in Major League Soccer over the past decade than the New York Red Bulls. They might not have delivered in the postseason, never even making an MLS Cup appearance, nevermind winning one, since 2008, but they have consistently been one of the premier teams in the division.

Much of their success has stemmed from their continuity, the development of in-house talent, and a system that incorporates players who fit perfectly into their specific roles. They have not, however, invested heavily in the team, especially in more recent years.

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In fact, in the past two and three years, they have seen their talent deteriorate each and every year without replacing them. The record-setting Supporters’ Sheild-winning team of 2018 now looks very different. It started with Tyler Adams. Then Bradley Wright-Phillips and Luis Robles. Kemar Lawrence and Michael Murillo also departed, while Aaron Long is expected to make a European switch in the near future.

Of course, every team is going to lose players here and there. It is part and parcel of partaking in a global sport with transfer markets, especially when you do not play in the elite leagues, as the New York Red Bulls do in MLS. Where the Red Bulls have gone wrong, however, is in their inability to replace the players have lost

And it is not as though they have tried and failed. As other teams have invested heavily in their squads, with clubs throughout the league breaking their respective transfer records and spending more lavishly than ever before, the Red Bulls have stayed true to their development approach. Only Josh Sims represents a significant investment and he only arrived on loan last summer and extended his temporary stay in the offseason. They are falling behind as a result.

However, this week, Peterborough Town chairman Barry Fry revealed that the Red Bulls made a £4 million-plus-add-ons bid for striker Ivan Toney. Per The Peterborough Telegraph, Fry said:

"“New York Red Bulls have plenty of money, but they didn’t offer us anywhere near enough for Ivan. It was £4 million with several add ons. but we will get bigger offers than that once our 2019-20 season comes to an end. Lots of clubs will be looking for a top-class striker and there won’t be any better than Ivan available, especially at what we consider a reasonable price for a player of his age who has already improved considerably and will improve even more in the future.”"

The Red Bulls may or may not return with a substantially improved offer, and given Toney’s 26 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions this season, at just 24, he may want to persevere in English football for the time being. Moving to MLS as he approaches him prime is accepting that he will not flourish in Europe.

Nevertheless, whether Toney makes the move to New York or not, this is a significant step in the right direction for a club that has shown little intention of investing even remotely substantial sums in new players.

MLS is changing and teams are spending more than ever. It is up to those like the Red Bulls to keep pace and commit to their project. Thus far, they haven’t. But perhaps this failed bid for Toney suggests a much-needed change in approach is coming.