Despite Brentford finally conceding defeat in the summer and accepting that Ivan Toney wouldn’t be staying at the club beyond his contract, Manchester United opted against testing their resolve.
Long had the Red Devils been linked with Toney since he was promoted to the top flight in 2020, primarily because his seamless transition to the Premier League made him an ideal candidate to finally put an end to the club’s striker woes.
In 2023, United forked out £64 million to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta, while also still having Anthony Martial in the ranks at Old Trafford – not that he proved to be any use in his final season, though.
Why United opted against Toney move
INEOS chiefs were, however, thought to be mulling over a move for the Bees talisman, whom Pep Guardiola once hailed as ‘one of the best he’d ever seen’, before his £40m move to Al-Ahli. They ultimately pursued Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna in a £36.5m deal, despite the 23-year-old recording only 14 goals in two Serie A campaigns.
ESPN’s Mark Ogden has since revealed the reasoning behind their decision, stating that Toney – while an undeniably prolific goalscorer – did not ‘press defenders energetically enough’ to fit Erik ten Hag’s desired system, leaving United to shelve their interest and eventually target a younger alternative.
