Manchester United Seek Experienced Striker: Welbeck or Toney?
Manchester United’s summer rebuild is starting to take shape, and the next piece of the puzzle looks increasingly likely to be an old-fashioned, battle‑hardened centre-forward.
With a deal in place for Atalanta midfielder Ederson – still awaiting official confirmation – and plans for at least one more midfielder, a left-back and a left-winger, INEOS and sporting director Jason Wilcox are now weighing up whether to invest in a new No 9 to ease the burden on a young attack. If the budget stretches, a centre-back could follow, but the noise around Old Trafford is growing louder around the striker position.
Earlier in the window, Brentford’s Igor Thiago sat firmly on the radar. Ben Jacobs revealed in July that United had registered interest in the Brazilian, who finished last season with the second-highest goal tally in the Premier League. He was viewed as a younger option to cover the scenario in which Joshua Zirkzee is moved on.
Back in June, Jacobs outlined the early thinking: United were “just starting to look at the market in the old and more experienced category of strikers, with one or two exceptions like Igor Thiago – in case Zirkzee leaves.” It hinted at a split strategy: one eye on the future, one on a seasoned presence for the here and now.
That balance has shifted. In Jacobs’ latest update, Thiago’s name disappeared from the conversation. Two very different, but very familiar, forwards have stepped into the frame: Brighton’s Danny Welbeck and Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney.
United want a grown-up No 9
Speaking on The United Stand, Jacobs set out the profile United are now targeting.
“My feeling is that if they go for a number nine, it will more likely be an experienced name and somebody that can really be a strong positive dressing room influence,” he said. The club want a striker who understands the grind of a long season, accepts rotation, and still drives standards when he is not starting every week. United expect to compete on multiple fronts; they need a centre-forward who has lived that life.
That is where Welbeck’s name carries emotional weight. A Carrington academy graduate, a popular figure among supporters, and a player who knows the club’s demands inside out. The idea of bringing him back has already been floated.
“We have spoken before about how popular it might be to bring someone back like Danny Welbeck,” Jacobs noted. “Nothing is necessarily developing there yet but if they give that due consideration, the fanbase will probably like that. But I don’t think he’s a player that Brighton would want to sell.”
There’s the snag. Welbeck fits the brief in terms of character, experience and familiarity, but Brighton are not in the habit of letting useful squad players walk out the door without a fight. Sentiment alone will not unlock that deal.
Toney’s goals, Toney’s wages
If Welbeck represents the romantic option, Ivan Toney is the ruthless one.
The former Brentford striker has been in prolific form for Al-Ahli, scoring 32 goals in 32 Saudi Pro League matches. Those numbers have not gone unnoticed at Old Trafford. United, Jacobs says, “appreciate” Toney and what he could bring: penalty-box presence, penalty expertise, and a proven Premier League scoring record from his time in England.
The problem is not his output. It is his pay packet.
“Wage is partially an issue there because he’s earning well in Saudi Arabia,” Jacobs explained. The question now hangs over Toney’s own ambitions and lifestyle. “Let’s see what happens after the World Cup with Toney and if he is prepared to leave Saudi because despite constant rumours that he wants out, I’ve always been told that at football level and family level, he’s quite happy there.”
So United wait. They monitor. They weigh up whether an expensive, experienced finisher is worth the financial stretch in a window where multiple positions already demand investment.
What is clear is the direction of travel. With Ederson incoming, further midfield surgery planned, and the left side of the pitch under review, United’s hierarchy want a grown-up centre-forward to guide a young squad through a defining season. Whether that calming presence turns out to be a returning Welbeck, a free-scoring Toney, or another veteran name entirely will say plenty about how bold – or how pragmatic – this new era at Old Trafford is prepared to be.
