Manchester United are "interested" in a summer swoop for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, but a reliable journalist has revealed that there are also two other clubs pursuing him in the Premier League.
Why wasn't Ivan Toney playing?
Back in May, Toney received an eight-month ban from all football-related activity from the FA after admitting to 232 breaches of betting rules so won’t be able to return to the field until January 2024, but regardless, that hasn’t stopped clubs from circling for his signature.
Despite still having another two years remaining on his contract with the Bees, the 27-year-old firmly established himself as Thomas Frank’s overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.25 last season, form which has seemingly caught the eye of Erik ten Hag.
Football Insider previously claimed that the Red Devils were plotting a move but were concerned about tabling a bid due to the uncertainty surrounding his off-field situation, though with chiefs having held conversations with the centre-forward during pre-season, a deal could come to fruition in the final week of the window.
Are Man United signing Ivan Toney?
Taking to X, The Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel name-checked Man United as one of three top-flight clubs hoping to secure the services of Toney, who has changed his representative in order to force a move to a more high-profile team this summer. He wrote:
"Ivan Toney signs with CAA Stellar – led by leading agent Jonathan Barnett – to provide clear indication of his intention to leave Brentford. Man Utd, Chelsea and Tottenham among clubs interested."
Expanding in his column for the newspaper, the reporter claimed that the admiration in the attacker is "concrete" and that he has had an £80m price tag placed on his head at the Community Stadium.
How many goals has Ivan Toney scored?
In the Premier League last season, Toney racked up a remarkable 24 contributions (20 goals and four assists) in 33 appearances, form which has previously seen him described as having the “mindset of a lion” by his manager Frank, so it would be a massive coup if the striker was to join Man United this summer.
The England international also recorded a total of 87 shots over the course of the campaign which was more than any other of his fellow teammates, via FBRef, and his outstanding level of performance saw him receive five man-of-the-match awards from WhoScored.
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The Northampton-born talent furthermore has the ability to operate out wide on the right wing and even as a second striker alongside leading the line, so he would provide the boss with some welcome versatility, potentially making him a great option to have in the building from 2024.
Finally, Toney joining CAA Stellar means that he now shares the same agent as Luke Shaw, Dean Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo and Facundo Pellistri, so this existing connection that his new representatives already have to the club could help, should they fully pursue a deal before September 1st, and it looks as if a deal could be one to watch.