Featured Image Credit: Getty
Manchester United are interested in signing Ivan Toney if his betting ban is overturned, according to reports.
After two underwhelming displays against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, United supporters are already concerned that the club lacks the required depth in midfield and up front for the season.
Rasmus Hojlund, 20, joined United for £72 million earlier this summer, but is yet to play for his new club owing to an injury incurred during pre-season. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford prefers to play on the left flank, while Anthony Martial has struggled with fitness throughout his United career.
However, it appears like United will wait until the January transfer window to recruit another No.9.
According to FootballTransfers, United are aiming to sign Toney in the winter transfer window after holding talks with the Brentford striker before Erik ten Hag’s team flew off for their pre-season tour of the United States.
According to the publication, the club is willing to wait until Toney’s betting ban is released in January before making a bid for the player.
Toney is thought to be interested in a move to Old Trafford, and the months it will take to sign the 27-year-old will give Hojlund time to adjust to life in Manchester.
Ten Hag has typically utilized a physical No.9 in his system, and Hojlund was supposedly signed to supplement any other new additions.
However, United does not now have the funds to undertake such a deal.
The news comes only days after Toney confessed his love for both Liverpool and Arsenal.
Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast, Toney said: “Yeah, [I’m a] Liverpool fan.
“I have been a Liverpool fan my whole life, but from young I have liked Arsenal, I like watching Arsenal and how they play and kind of how passionate the fans are. But, yeah, Liverpool fan – Liverpool boy at heart.”
Toney was suspended for eight months after admitting to breaking Football Association betting rules.
The forward is not permitted to play again until January 17 of the following year, however he is permitted to return to training on September 17.
Toney was fined £50,000 and warned about his future conduct for 232 violations of the FA’s betting laws, in addition to the ban. Toney had a gambling addiction, according to the FA’s regulatory commission, and he needed therapy.
Toney’s violations occurred between February 25, 2017 and January 23, 2021, when he played for Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United, and Brentford.
Last season, the Brentford forward scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League games, helping the club finish ninth. In March, he earned his first England cap as a late substitute in a 2-0 European Championship qualification win over Ukraine.
