Manchester United had a quiet start to the summer transfer window, but over the last week or so, they have burst into life.
First came the much-deserved renewal of Johnny Evans' one-year contract, and then came arguably the biggest signing in the Premier League thus far: Joshua Zirkzee.
The Dutch striker enjoyed a productive campaign with Bologna last season, and while he's not the finished article, he is undoubtedly exciting.
That said, his place in the team may already be under threat, as recent reports have now touted a much more established striker plying his trade for the Three Lions for a move to Old Trafford, and unfortunately for the Dutchman, he'd probably be an upgrade.
Manchester United transfer news
According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano via GIVEMESPORT, Manchester United could still sign Ivan Toney this summer.
The Italian journalist revealed that while there has not been a major development recently, he does not think the club have ruled him out.
If the move does happen, GIVEMESPORT claims that it could cost as little as £40m, which would be a dramatic reduction from his £100m asking price back in January.
It would certainly be a surprising move and likely done to provide Zirkzee with some more cover and an older striker to learn from, but based on how good Toney can be and the glimpses of brilliant he showed at the Euros, he could end up replacing him altogether.
How Toney compares to Zirkzee
Now, due to his eight-month betting-related ban from all footballing activities, Toney's 2023/24 was a bit of a washout, and while not dreadful, his haul of four goals and two assists in 17 games was not up to his usual standard.
So, to compare him more accurately and fairly to Zirkzee, it makes sense to examine his statistics from the 2022/23 campaign.
That season, he scored 21 goals and provided five assists in just 35 matches for Brentford, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.34 games.
Appearances
35
37
Goals
21
12
Assists
5
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.74
0.51
In contrast, the Bologna ace scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in 37 appearances, equating to a worse average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games.
Output isn't the only thing that the "unplayable" Englishman, as dubbed by Alan Shearer, has over the new United man either.
Over his entire career, the former Newcastle United ace has missed just eight games through injury, whereas the player he could replace has missed 38 since the 2020/21 campaign alone.
It might not be as exciting a comparison as goals and assists, but as they say, availability is the best ability, and the Brentford star is always available.
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Ultimately, United look to have an incredibly exciting and potentially brilliant young striker in Zirkzee. However, in a season in which Ten Hag might be desperate to deliver results as quickly as possible, bringing in Toney might be the way to go – especially if he really is available for just £40m.
