Now seemingly closing in on the arrival of Manuel Ugarte, Manchester United have reportedly turned their attention towards beating Chelsea to one particular forward's signature before the deadline.
Man Utd transfer news
It's been a summer full of positives for those at Old Trafford on the transfer front. They headed into the window in need of reinforcements all across Erik ten Hag's side and look likely to end it having welcomed exactly that. Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazaraoui, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee and now Ugarte should all strengthen the Red Devils in their own right.
That said, Manchester United still might not be done even as deadline day approaches, with defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion once again exposing their need for that extra star power that one forward would certainly give them.
According to The Standard, Manchester United have held preliminary talks to sign Ivan Toney from Brentford in an early attempt to hijack Chelsea's move.
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The forward looked likely to be off to Saudi Arabia and Al-Ahli, before they reportedly saw their bid rejected by Brentford, who are hoping that United's interest ignites a bidding war and they eventually receive their £40m asking price as a result this summer.
A move to Stamford Bridge reportedly remains Toney's priority, but in the latter stages of the window, his future still remains up for debate, which could allow United to swoop in. The Red Devils' goalscoring problems were there for all to see last season, but the Brentford star would put those issues to bed once and for all.
"Remarkable" Toney would seal perfect Man Utd summer
Getting one over on rivals Chelsea and signing a solution to their striker problem, welcoming Toney would turn a good summer perfect at Old Trafford. For just £40m, the Red Devils would be signing a player who was only outscored by Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in the 2022/23 campaign, before he was handed a lengthy suspension for breaching betting rules last term.
Now ready for his first full season back from that suspension and on the hunt for a big move, Toney is likely to pick up where he left off. That said, the 28-year-old must ensure that he solves the dilemma of his club future in the coming days after being frozen out of Thomas Frank's Brentford side amid such speculation.
It's quite the fall from where Toney once found himself at the club and under Frank, who has been full of praise for the forward throughout his rise to stardom for the Bees.
The Brentford boss previously told the club's official website: “Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects. The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable."