Ivan Toney would add pressing edge for Man Utd alongside Rasmus Hojlund
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 23 Aug 2023 19:46 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United are in dire need of another striker but the Glazers’ lack of investment has put any hopes of an attacking signing on hold this summer.
The club must sell to buy, which makes the renewed links with Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo dubious. Erik ten Hag also wants a midfielder, with Sofyan Amrabat pinpointed as his main target.
However, Man Utd can’t afford the £30 million that Fiorentina are asking for, meaning it is likely the 27-year-old will end up at Atletico Madrid or staying with his current club.
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The United boss did not want to solely rely on Rasmus Hojlund, currently injured, as the main focal point of attack, but any funds won’t be available until players are moved on.
Ten Hag likes to use a physical striker who enjoys pressing to lead the frontline. Harry Kane was the main target but a deal was always going to be tricky with Tottenham. FootballTransfers revealed the interest from Man Utd in Ivan Toney on Tuesday, who’s currently out of action following a ban for gambling breaches.
The forward will be allowed to play again in January when the next window opens, and when Man Utd should be able to spend again.
Ten Hag bought Sebastien Haller twice during his time in the Netherlands. He also brought in Wout Weghorst after Cristiano Ronaldo made an exit - it’s clear the sort of player he wants upfront.
Comparing Toney and Hojlund
And should Man Utd get Toney, we could see a spike in the way in which they play. FootballTransfers used SciSport data to analyse Toney and Hojlund - both would be able to offer the manager something different in terms of finding the net and creating chances.
Toney scored an impressive 0.61 goals per 90 minutes and overperformed on his xG figure of 0.57 per 90 minutes last season for Brentford. Hojlund did the same albeit at a lower rate scoring 0.48 goals from 0.47 xG per 90 minutes.
Looking at their non-penalty numbers, it’s a pretty different picture: Hojlund’s 0.48 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes beats Toney’s figure of 0.43 at the same time.
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Hojlund is more mobile and is a better runner with the ball, which is why Ten Hag wanted him in as a versatile attacker rather than a strict No.9. The youngster performs more carries into the final third (1.28 vs 0.64 per 90 minutes) and carries into the penalty area (1.53 vs 0.24 per 90 minutes ) than Toney, while he is also more comfortable taking on defenders and has a higher success rate when doing so.
Hojlund is also better on the ball and has more key passes per 90 minutes (1.18 vs 0.82) and thereby a higher xA figure (0.16 vs 0.12 per 90 minutes). Although they attempt around the same number of passes, Hojlund has a much higher pass completion rate (73.1% vs 59.5%) than the England international, too.
But something that Ten Hag will like about Toney is that he is much better off-the-ball, being more involved in making tackles, interceptions, and blocks for his team, though this might be a consequence of playing for a more defensive-minded team, compared to Hojlund at Atalanta.
