High-flying Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney, who is also a target for Manchester United.
According to a report from Football Insider, resurgent Aston Villa are set to rival Manchester United in the race to secure the services of Brentford hitman Ivan Toney, who has bagged 20 goals in all competitions this season.
Toney has established himself as one of the most consistent strikers in the Premier League in recent years. Despite the uncertainty over a potential ban for breaking FA betting rules, the Bees’ striker has enjoyed another impressive season in West London and clearly has an eye for goal.
He recently took his season tally to 19 goals in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, which places him in third place behind Harry Kane and Erling Haaland for the Premier League Golden Boot.
The 27-year-old has caught the eye with his ruthless finishing, explosiveness to work the channels, and excellent link-up and hold-up play. With flying wingers Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade on either side, Toney has reprised the centre-piece role in Brentford’s counter-attacking machine this season.
Needless to say, his exploits are not going unnoticed, with several Premier League bigwigs plotting a summer swoop to land him. Manchester United, for one, are dubbed big admirers of his talent and are believed to be keen to launch a summer move.
The Red Devils will be in the market for a big-money centre-forward ahead of the 2022/23 campaign after releasing Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in the season and bringing in Wout Weghorst as a short-term fix in January, with the Dutchman’s loan deal from Burnley unlikely to be extended further.
They have been linked with Tottenham captain Harry Kane and Napoli star Victor Osimhen. But given both are set to cost a fortune, Toney is viewed as a decent alternative in the summer.
While Manchester United have been closely monitoring Toney’s possible availability, they are extremely cautious about making an offer while his gambling investigation continues in the background. The FA had filed 262 charges against the striker back in November after finding violations in their football betting regulations. Toney has since gone on to accept many of the charges and, if found guilty, could face a lengthy ban.
Brentford are thought to value the forward in the region of £50 million, with Chelsea and Newcastle United also believed to be keeping a close eye on his situation. Now, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have also joined the bandwagon and are eyeing a move for him in the off-season.
The Spaniard has transformed the club’s fortunes since taking over from Steven Gerrard to the point where qualification for European competitions is a realistic possibility. And the Villa owners will look to back their manager in the market with a marquee striker signing to pair up with in-form Ollie Watkins. Indeed, Toney fits the profile, having thrived in a front-two with Mbeumo in recent seasons.
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Although the Midlands outfit can pounce upon Manchester United’s hesitancy, they would not want to sanction a big-money deal and then miss his services due to the ban. It will be interesting to see how this saga plays out, but one thing is for sure: Toney’s performance definitely merits a move to a big club.
