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Manchester United’s performances this season have been those of 11 individuals rather than one team.
That’s reflected in their eighth position in the Premier League, but Erik ten Hag’s biggest issue has been in the final third.
The Red Devils have netted just 1.14 goals per game in the top flight, and therefore, the boss will look to bolster his attack with a new addition.
Man Utd identified their next striker target
According to a recent report from The Athletic, Man United are keeping an eye on England international and proven Premier League scorer Ivan Toney.
The striker is reportedly valued at £100m by Brentford, who will only settle for a fee close to their evaluation. However, due to the hefty price tag and United’s financial fair play restrictions, a move this January may not be possible.
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The stats that show Toney would thrive at Man United
The striker position has been occupied by many players over the last ten years, with none of them successfully nailing down the role on a prolonged, permanent basis to great success.
In fact, nobody has been able to live up to anywhere near the standards of Robin Van Persie’s 2012/13 Premier League campaign, where he won the Golden Boot with 26 goals while also providing 15 assists to help United win the top-flight.
However, a player that could emulate the Dutch legend’s spell at Old Trafford could be Toney, who may just become the best striker to play for United since Van Persie.
The Bees star has proved to be up there with the elite strikers in the division since being promoted in 2021, with last season’s 20-goal campaign really cementing his status among the elite. Last weekend, the 27-year-old played his first game since being suspended in May, and he bounced back with a bang, scoring and helping his side to their first win in seven matches.
Nonetheless, the table below displays a handful of Toney’s statistics from last season, and how he compared to his positional peers.
|
Toney’s 2022/23 Premier League Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Toney |
PL Percentile |
|
Goals |
0.61 |
Top 11% |
|
xG |
0.57 |
Top 14% |
|
Goals + Assists |
0.73 |
Top 18% |
|
Passes into the final third |
1.65 |
Top 18% |
|
Aerials won |
3.32 |
Top 9% |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
Although the former Newcastle player has plenty of technical ability, he is the definition of a true target man who loves to bully defenders all game. United have lacked a reliable goal-scorer to lead the line for a while, with Anthony Martial struggling with injuries and Rasmus Hojlund struggling to adapt to the Premier League, as highlighted by his two goals in 16 appearances.
Unlike the aforementioned duo, Toney is a “prolific” finisher, as per talent scout Jacek Kulig, and his goals per ninety ratio and overperformance of xG support that claim. He’s also extremely intelligent, and he can drop deeper to progress the ball into the final third.
The English forward would make United much more unpredictable in attack while also elevating the whole team’s performance, especially when playing out from the back, which is installed within Ten Hag’s philosophy. This is because of Toney’s athleticism and dominance in the air, meaning they would have a constant direct outball to hit in all scenarios.
Overall, Toney could have an astronomical impact on United, just like Van Persie did over ten years ago, and signing him this summer could be a masterstroke by Ineos, who could finally land a clinical and reliable centre-forward for the club – as he has proven himself to be lethal at this level.
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