Man Utd urged to blitz Liverpool, Arsenal and complete marquee striker signing that’ll guarantee Ratcliffe success

Manchester United have been told why they must win the race for Ivan Toney, with one observer naming Liverpool and Arsenal as potential rivals for his signature.

Toney is keen to make a big move away from Brentford this summer as he wants to test himself out at a higher level, such as in the Champions League. The striker also knows that shining for one of the most glamorous clubs in the Premier League will give him a better chance of playing more for England.

Brentford are well aware of Toney’s desire to move on. Indeed, both manager Thomas Frank and technical director Lee Dykes have spoken openly about the possibility of a transfer.

But Brentford want to ensure that the money is right before they sell. The Bees value Toney at a whopping £100million, though the fact his contract expires in June 2025 weakens their negotiating position.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth revealed on Monday that the Englishman could actually be on the move for £50-60m.

Previously it was Arsenal who were the frontrunners to land Toney, but they are now prioritising Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres. This has opened the door for clubs such as Man Utd, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

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Both Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein have backed Man Utd to try their luck with an offer for Toney in the summer. This would fit in with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s aim of signing the best British stars for Man Utd.

Darragh MacAnthony, who signed Toney for Peterborough United in 2018, has now weighed in on his former player’s future. MacAnthony believes Man Utd should fight off potential competition from Liverpool and Arsenal to win the race for Toney, as this will immediately help Ratcliffe and Erik ten Hag achieve their goal of making the Red Devils title challengers.

Ivan Toney would net ’30 goals a season’ at Man Utd

“Put him in an Arsenal team, put him in a Liverpool or a Man Utd team, he scores 30 Premier League goals in a season. I think anyone who disagrees with that hasn’t been watching the last two-and-a-half years,” the Peterborough chairman said on Sky Sports.

“I think there are five clubs in the world who could probably end up buying him and he will improve any of those clubs by a mile. He turns Man Utd into challengers for the Premier League.”

MacAnthony added: “Having scouted players not just for their technical ability but their personality and their growth for 18 years, I think he’s not even in his prime even though he’s turning 28.

“Whoever buys him, £100m will be well spent because he’s coming into his prime. You’re going to get five or six years of his best.

“He’s scored a goal every other game in the Premier League for Brentford. Put Ivan in an Aston Villa team under [Unai] Emery and see how many goals he scores in the Premier League. He’d probably be up there for the Golden Boot.”

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