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Finding an attacking partner for Rasmus Hojlund will be crucial for Manchester United this summer after the Dane had no support in his debut season.
Manager Erik ten Hag had to continue playing him as Anthony Martial was permanently injured, while Marcus Rashford suffered a dramatic drop in form.
The former Atalanta starlet looked overworked but still emerged as the club’s top scorer with 16 goals and the only other player in the squad to break double figures in Premier League goals.
The Dutch selector asked for reinforcements last summer, as well as in January, but the Glazers failed to support him. The new co-owners of INEOS are unlikely to repeat that mistake.
In search of the attacker
However, finding the right partner will be crucial if the Denmark international’s growth is not to be stunted, with doubts recently raised over the signing of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna.
The Red Devils have also been linked with Brentford’s Ivan Toni, who is currently part of England’s Euro squad. Two seasons ago he scored 20 goals, while last season he scored four goals in 17 games.
The England international has a year left on his current contract with the Bees and Thomas Frank’s side have paid a £60m price tag for their frontman.
A number of Premier League sides are interested, but his high asking price has seen the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal focus on other targets.
The 20-time Premier League champions are still monitoring proceedings but are unlikely to pay the London outfit’s valuation. They see Toney as a £40m player according to HITC Football.
Brentford are ready to keep the former Peterborough star with them if they do not receive a satisfactory offer. The player, for his part, expressed his desire to move to a bigger club.
“HITC understands that Brentford have not lowered their price for Ivan Toney due to transfer interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
“Brentford insist they will not let their striker leave for a cut price this summer. Brentford consider Toney to be one of the best strikers in the Premier League, and as such they see him at a certain value and HITC understands that this is £60m.
A valuation gap remains in the pursuit of Toney
“The 28-year-old has just one year left on his current deal – but Brentford insist they are happy to stay in west London if no one comes forward with a reasonable offer.
“Arsenal and Chelsea have looked closely in the last 12 months but have recently pulled out – but he has other admirers such as Manchester United, Tottenham and West Ham all showing interest, although their player value is believed to be close to £40m .”
Toney’s goal-returning game is something United would dearly love to possess, but it remains to be seen whether they can afford the striker.
United’s overall budget isn’t that high and they have more gaps to fill. Brentford’s price tag appears to be beyond the club’s reach for now.
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