Manchester United planning £50m transfer for Brentford's Ivan Toney
ESPN has reported that manchester united They have a “particular interest” in signing Ivan Toney and a deal will cost at least £50m for the Brentford hitman this summer.
With Erik ten Hag's future at Old Trafford is already assured For the foreseeable future, Man United can begin planning their transfer activities accordingly and signing a striker is very much at stake.
Anthony Martial left as a free agent at the end of last season and Benjamin Sesko decided to stay at RB Leipzig, forcing United to look at other options, ESPN confirmed.
The report says Man Utd have identified Toney as a top target and that the Brentford forward is of “particular interest” as he is about to enter the final year of his contract.
ESPN claim Brentford will demand at least £50m for the England international, while Untied have also added Jonathan David and Joshua Zirkzee to their wish list as they look to bring in back-up for Rasmus Hojlund.
David's price is still unclear, but Zirkzee has a release clause in his contract with Bologna that amounts to £34 million, with Arsenal He is also interested in the former Bayern Munich striker.
Toney suits Manchester United better
Manchester United already have a young striker in Hojlund who is more of a long-term option, so it is imperative that they focus on adding a proven name to the squad.
Toney, although a little more expensive than David and Zirkzee, would be a better option since he has good experience in the first division and has become one of the best forwards in England.
Even after missing a significant portion of the 2023/24 season due to suspension as a result of playing activities, Toney returned to his usual form for Thomas Frank's men earlier this year.
He finished the Premier League season with four goals and two assists in 17 appearancesas he quickly regained his place in the Brentford lineup after his suspension was served.
Toney is 28 years old and still has a lot of football ahead of him. United's only drawback in pursuing him would be when discussing the type of role Toney would play in the team.
Ten Hag would have a difficult task on his hands if he has to keep Hojlund and Toney happy, as both players would expect to play regularly in the starting lineup.
Time will tell what Manchester United's plan is for the forward position, but negotiations for Toney would have to wait until his Euro 2024 commitment to the English team ends.
