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It’s the worst-kept secret that Manchester United are as soon as once more on the hunt for a confirmed goalscorer to come back in and lead the road for Erik ten Hag’s facet.
Final summer time, United chased huge hitters like Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen however the two proved elusive. Kane went on to hitch Bayern Munich, the place he has since taken to life like a duck to water. Osimhen alternatively, elected to stay at Napoli, the place he not too long ago signed a brand new deal to increase his keep on the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
United and Ten Hag went for the subsequent smartest thing – a younger, hungry and insanely proficient goalscorer within the type of Rasmus Hojlund.
The Purple Devils forked out a hefty £64 million to prise Hojlund away from Atalanta’s tight grip.
The younger Dane has proven extraordinarily optimistic indicators. Earlier than United’s elimination from the Champions League and Europe altogether, he bagged 5 targets within the competitors – the present joint-most alongside different gamers like Erling Haaland (Manchester Metropolis), Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid) and Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid).
Hojlund took his time to interrupt his duck within the Premier League, however he ultimately opened his goalscoring account in England’s prime flight in elegant style – a match-winning aim throughout a comeback victory towards Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
He registered his second within the league throughout United’s most up-to-date sport towards Tottenham Hotspur with a surprising end that noticed him ship the ball into the roof of the online. In the intervening time, Hojlund is United’s prime scorer with seven targets throughout all competitions – a really spectacular return for a 20-year-old nonetheless studying his craft in essentially the most troublesome league on the earth whereas taking part in for one of many globe’s largest and most well-known sporting manufacturers.
Nevertheless, it’s clear Hojlund nonetheless wants assist. It’s been repeatedly talked about that Ten Hag desires to safe the companies of an skilled talisman to share a few of the goalscoring burden presently on the shoulders of the membership’s quantity 11.
United have been linked to gamers like Karim Benzema, Mauro Icardi, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Brian Brobbey, Joshua Zirkzee and naturally, Ivan Toney.
All would make glorious additions to the ranks at Previous Trafford no less than on paper however one title stands out above the remaining – Toney.
A case for Toney to be United’s principal striker goal
Toney’s numbers communicate for him and his unbelievable capacity as the most effective within the enterprise.
Final season, the Brentford man managed 20 targets and 4 assists in 33 Premier League appearances. For context, solely Haaland and Kane managed to attain greater than him.
He was factually – no less than based mostly on the numbers – the Premier League’s third-best striker final time period.
Toney’s 2023/24 marketing campaign acquired off to a horror begin after he was handed an eight-month ban for a betting offence. He was discovered responsible of breaching Premier League playing rules and was sidelined for a prolonged time frame.
Throughout his final match towards Liverpool at Anfield earlier than being suspended firstly of Could, Brentford went into the sport in ninth place and would end the season 25 factors away from the underside three.
Quick ahead to Saturday’s conflict vs. Nottingham Forest wherein Toney made his long-awaited return to aggressive motion after 259 days and Brentford went into that conflict sixteenth and three factors away from the relegation spots, though with a sport in hand and within the information that two of their instant rivals within the battle towards the drop, together with Forest, might be going through factors deductions.
The story that all the time appeared inevitable performed out – Toney, who was handed the armband by Thomas Frank, led the Bees to their first win in 49 days, successfully lifting Brentford above Forest and Crystal Palace within the Premier League standings.
On the Gtech Neighborhood Stadium vs. Forest, Brentford seemed like a facet that had acquired a brand new lease of life. Their assaults appeared extra coordinated and deadly.
Toney himself wanted simply 19 minutes to make his mark by getting on the rating sheet, albeit controversially. He scored from a free kick to finish a skid of 5 straight Premier League losses for his facet.
Such was the extent of simply how sorely he was missed by each his teammates and the followers. He repaid them with prompt impression.
He spoke after the game and mentioned, “It means rather a lot [his goal]. A very long time coming. I manifested this [during] the time I used to be out, and I’m right here now. I’m simply buzzing to be again and scoring targets and taking part in for the staff.”
“I manifest issues like this. And earlier than I left my home I believed, ‘Yeah, we’re profitable at this time and I’m scoring.’ And I made it occur, so it’s good.”
Brentford boss Thomas Frank mentioned, “He’s a person for the large events. He’s. He doesn’t really feel the stress.”
It’s that profile of striker that United want, for a membership that harbours ambitions of preventing for prime honours and returning to former glories.
Toney is already exhibiting that he can have an effect on the very highest degree, as evidenced by his exploits towards Forest after such a attempting interval in his profession and private life. To return again and play as he did requires guts and a few vanity that characterises all nice United gamers.
Past his character and mentality, he additionally possesses the talent set and attributes that may render him a smashing success at Previous Trafford.
Earlier this 12 months, Thomas Frank said about Toney quickly after he was named in England’s squad for March’s Euro 2024 qualifiers, “He has acquired all the skills. His link-up play, his ending, timing within the field and consciousness, so I’m certain he’ll rating targets within the Premier League.”
The targets have actually not been a problem however he affords a lot extra. He’s very adept at linking up play and holding the ball to deliver his teammates into the motion. Alongside together with his link-up skillset, he additionally boasts of a top-quality remaining ball that cuts by means of the defensive position. He’s a specialist at selecting aside a excessive line, by taking part in by means of both his placing associate or runners from deep positions.
The 27-year-old additionally affords an aerial menace that may be an asset for United each offensively and defensively. He’s a set-piece knowledgeable who’s glorious at way more than dispatching penalties.
He’s a grasp at nook and free-kick routines – a side of the sport United are poor at. He can even rating free kicks, as seen by his aim towards Forest on Saturday.
Much more spectacular about Toney is his capacity to get out of tight areas both by utilizing his massive body or by leveraging his great technical capacity on the ball.
His ball placing is ideal, which is required for a world-class striker. This significantly helps him when trying to shoot from obscure angles. Typically, he is ready to both discover the again of the online or register a shot heading in the right direction. He’s additionally very medical and hardly wastes the possibilities created for him.
Toney could be very athletic and at 5’10 (which seems misleading), he has confirmed he can adequately meet the bodily calls for of the Premier League.
He’s actually the obvious and excellent striker choice for United. One necessary factor to notice is that, in contrast to overseas targets who could require time to settle into the Premier League or adapt to the tempo of English soccer, Toney is already accustomed to it. Ought to he arrive at Previous Trafford, he’ll almost definitely hit the bottom working. Even higher is that at 27, he appears to be coming into his prime years. There may be extra to come back from him.
He recently opened up about his future and admitted that he wish to transfer to a giant membership – a name United needs to be scrambling to heed.
The talisman mentioned, “You possibly can by no means predict when is the best time to maneuver elsewhere, however I feel it’s apparent I need to play for a prime membership. All people desires to play for a prime membership, that’s preventing for titles.”
“Whether or not it’s this January that’s the proper time for a membership to come back in and pay the best cash, who is aware of?”
United and Toney are certainly a match made in heaven. It’s as much as the membership to do the whole lot potential to deliver him in forward of rival outfits.
