Manchester United’s decision not to go for Ivan Toney has left the former striker turned pundit Alan Shearer ‘surprised’.
The Red Devils were very active in the recently concluded summer window as after revamping the backline by signing Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui, they have bolstered the midfield with the acquisition of Manual Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain on the deadline day.
Moreover, they have also signed Joshua Zirkzee to add depth in the attacking department, but Shearer has said that he is ‘surprised’ that United didn’t go for a proven goal-scorer like Toney as he would’ve done well for Erik ten Hag’s side had they signed him.
He said (via the Express):
“I am slightly surprised – I think he’d [Toney] do pretty well at Old Trafford. I thought they [United] were poor in forward areas against Brighton and without Hojlund.”
The forward entered the final year of his current contract with Brentford and the Bees eventually decided to sell him to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli in a £40m deal on deadline day.
Toney to Man Utd
Toney showcased his goal-scoring prowess in the Premier League so he would definitely be a shrewd acquisition for United if they purchased him.
However, the Red Devils are looking to build a squad for the future so they went for younger players this summer therefore, the 28-year-old, Toney wouldn’t be the ideal option for their plan.
So, Man Utd will be hoping that Zirkzee and Hojlund will be able to address United’s goal-scoring issues this season and help the club achieve all objectives.
Meanwhile, along with adding new faces, Man Utd were also busy trimming down their squad. After letting Mason Greenwood and Aaron Wan-Bissaka leave, they also sold Scott McTominay to Napoli on deadline day.
Moreover, Jadon Sancho has been offloaded to Chelsea during the final minutes of the window. The forward has joined the Blues on an initial loan deal and an obligation to buy option has also been included in the deal.
The clause will automatically get triggered if the West London club eventually finish 14th or above in the Premier League this season.
So, overall, it can be considered as a successful window from the record Premier League champions’ point of view.
