Man Utd get 'good news' over top-class No.9

Tom Weber

3 Apr 2024 09:26 CDT
4 min read

Erik ten Hag, Man Utd, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Neither Arsenal nor Chelsea consider Ivan Toney as their top summer target, according to a report, and this is good news for Manchester United.

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The 28-year-old is expected to depart Brentford in the summer having outgrown the humble Bees thanks to his stellar performances in recent years. It has been an open secret that Toney will leave in search of a big move in the upcoming window.

This was already confirmed by head coach Thomas Frank after the January window and technical director Lee Dykes recently reiterated that Toney feels he ought to take the next step in his career. Brentford, however, won't let their star striker depart for a trifling sum.

On the contrary, the Bees will demand a hefty fee to prise the England international away, though his price tag likely won't be north of €100 million again as it had been in the winter. Nevertheless, Toney won't come cheap and, given his age, this could be a problem.

Arsenal, Chelsea having doubts

It was already revealed in March that Arsenal's interest in Toney was beginning to cool, with the Gunners viewing Viktor Gyokeres as their priority target for the summer. Chelsea, meanwhile, are still keen on Victor Osimhen.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Toney's age and price make it unlikely that he will be considered a concrete option by the two London giants come the summer. Intriguingly, Jacobs mentions that this could be good news for Man Utd.

The Red Devils are now being heavily linked with a move for Toney and the chairman of Peterborough, one of his former clubs, believes that the striker would turn Erik ten Hag's men into title contenders. Though other sides like Tottenham and West Ham have also been associated with the 28-year-old, it seems that Man Utd could have relatively free run at Toney if they were to get serious about pursuing him.