After splashing out to sign Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, Manchester United have reportedly held talks about signing yet another expensive star, who wants to earn more than both recent arrivals combined.
Man Utd transfer news
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already stolen the headlines with moves for Zirkzee and particularly Yoro, who Real Madrid were reportedly interested in before the Red Devils went above and beyond for his signature. Securing the 18-year-old's arrival for a reported £52m and handing him a hefty reported salary of a minimum £113k-a-week, United proved once and for all that they're far from messing around in pursuit of reinforcements this summer.
Zirkzee didn't come cheap, either. United reportedly splashed out £37m to reach an agreement with Bologna to sign their star man, before offering the Dutchman a reported £56k-a-week to complete a move to Old Trafford. But even with the duo set to earn a combined £169k-a-week at Manchester United, the Red Devils may yet be about to spend even more money on wages just to welcome one more attacking reinforcement.
According to GiveMeSport, Manchester United have held talks about signing Ivan Toney from Brentford this summer if his price tag drops below £40m now that he's in the final year of his contract at the London club. Alas, whilst £40m could represent a bargain price, the forward's wage demand may yet prove to be an issue for any potential suitor.
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Toney reportedly wants to earn £250k-a-week at his next club, which would be more than Yoro and Zirkzee combined and would instantly make the England international Manchester United's third highest-earner alongside Jadon Sancho and Mason Mount. That said, there's no escaping the quality that Toney could offer Erik ten Hag's side.
"Amazing" Toney could prove his worth
Some will be quick to mention the risks of signing a player who only featured in the second half of last season, in which he wasn't at his clinical best fresh from a lengthy ban, but Toney proved in cameos at Euro 2024 exactly what he's capable of. For around £40m too, United could add one more big earner to their wage bill to solve their goalscoring problems once and for all.
If Toney picks up where he left off from his last full Premier League campaign in the 2022/23 season, then the Red Devils would be getting a striker capable of scoring 20 goals.
One man who won't want to see the forward leave Brentford, however, is manager Thomas Frank, who previously told the Bees' official website: "Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing.
“He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."