Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag did not view Ivan Toney as the right fit for his style of play as the club considered a move for the England international this summer before ultimately deciding against it.
Toney could surely have been a decent option for Man Utd after his impressive form for so much of his time at Brentford, but instead, he ended up leaving the Premier League for Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli.
According to ESPN, United looked at Toney, but his playing style and lack of pressing opposition defenders were seen as key for Ten Hag, and so the deal didn’t materialise.
The 28-year-old had an impressive scoring record at Brentford, and many Red Devils fans will surely feel that he could have been a good short-term option at the very least – someone to rotate with the club’s younger strikers to help them bed in, rather than rushing them into taking on the demands of being first choice up front for such a big club.
Toney transfer: A missed opportunity for United?
In fairness to United, Toney was also clearly snubbed by other big clubs too, as there was so much speculation about other top Premier League sides that never came to fruition either.
MUFC instead decided to go for Joshua Zirkzee, with the talented young Dutch forward joining from Bologna, but he’s not exactly made a huge impact so far.
The 23-year-old has only registered one goal in six appearances for his new club, however, fingers should likewise be pointed at the footballer’s offensive teammates. Notably, Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho likewise have only one league goal to their name in five Premier League appearances this term.
Toney may have had some flaws in his game, but he was at least a proven, reliable goal-scorer in the Premier League, and that could have made the world of difference for Ten Hag’s side after so many problems up front in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Four goal contributions in as many games in the Middle East is certainly nothing to sniff at – even if it is worth bearing in mind the disparity in quality between the two leagues.
The ESPN piece highlights how many big-name signings up front have flopped since their last successful striker signing, Robin van Persie.
Even if Toney is not perfect, it’s hard to imagine he couldn’t have gone some way to giving United more of a reliable threat up front at long last.