Another season approaches and once again questions remain regarding the number nine berth at Manchester United, with a guaranteed supply of goals having yet to be found by Erik ten Hag and co.
As was the case following his arrival from Atalanta last term, it will be a belated start to the new campaign for Rasmus Hojlund due to injury, with the towering Dane – who ended 2023/24 as the club's top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions – facing a six-week stint on the sidelines.
With Anthony Martial finally out the door, the Red Devils have acquired a suitable replacement in the form of Joshua Zirkzee, albeit with the Dutchman hardly a sure-fire thing, having netted just 12 times for Bologna last time out.
With doubts surrounding Zirkzee's clinical nature – and with Hojlund absent – it is perhaps not out of the question that INEOS could dip into the market again to acquire another leading centre-forward.
Latest on Man Utd's search for a striker
According to Football Insider, the Premier League outfit are 'plotting a late-window bid' for Brentford talisman, Ivan Toney, with the 28-year-old among United's targets as they seek out a 'proven centre-forward'.
As per the report, the England international – who has just a year left on his deal – could be available at a discounted price, with the Bees dropping their asking price from £70m to £50m as the end of the window looms.
Why Ivan Toney would be a good signing
With 36 goals and 11 assists in just 85 career appearances in England's top-flight, the one-time Newcastle United man would represent the 'proven' option that INEOS are craving, even despite having scored just four league goals last season.
90 minutes
1 assist
1 'big chance' created
6 shots off target
3 shots on target
49 touches
1 key pass
4/6 ground duels won
3/8 aerial duels won
7.8 match rating
That dry spell was no doubt sparked by the striker's lengthy, eight-month absence due to suspension for betting breaches – that untimely hiatus having come after a season in which he scored 20 times to finish third in the Golden Boot race.
It was amid that impending return to action earlier this year that unsurprising comparisons were made to a certain Eric Cantona, with the legendary Frenchman having famously endured his own stint on the sidelines following that Kung-Fu kick on a supporter back in January 1995.
Unlike Toney, 'King Eric' made up for lost time after helping to propel Alex Ferguson's men to the title in the 1995/96 season, scoring 14 league goals following his return to action in the October.
While the Brentford man's comeback proved far less fruitful, his manager Thomas Frank does see a likeness between the pair in a different sense due to their brimming "confidence", with Toney the type of player who "believes he can score in every action".
Much like Cantona too, he is also something of a "maverick" – as hailed by NBC's Robbie Mustoe.
Cantona, of course, oozed charisma during his days as Ferguson's talisman, with the iconic coach himself having outlined the key traits which the forward brought to the club in 1992: "His presence, his confidence, his stature".
Toney has not yet proven himself to be of the same ilk, but there is that same swagger, bordering on arrogance, that supporters relish when it's backed up, with England fans and pundits alike having marvelled at his no-look penalty against Switzerland at Euro 2024.
As that composed spot-kick rubberstamped, the Northampton-born marksman is the modern day 'showman' – as described by The Guardian's David Hytner – possessing a self-assured nature which would seemingly relish the responsibility of pulling on the famed United shirt.
At a time when far too many players have wilted under the weight of the jersey over the last decade or so, Toney could represent a breath of fresh air at the Theatre of Dreams.
Man Utd could make 'cheeky bid' for "monster" £15m Hojlund alternative
He has less than 12 months left on his contract
ByJoe NuttallAug 6, 2024