Ivan Toney’s future unclear as Brentford’s replacement Igor Thiago suffers injury | OneFootball

Manchester United’s ability to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney appears to be hinging on replacement Igor Thiago’s recent injury.

Brentford’s club-record signing of €36.5 million, Thiago injured his right knee during a 5-2 victory over AFC Wimbledon, The Athletic reports. Scoring twice in the encounter, he felt discomfort around the meniscus in his right knee.

As a result, there appears to be a possibility that Thiago may miss the first few weeks of the new Premier League season.

After undergoing a scan, Thiago was included in Brentford’s squad for their pre-season tour in Lisbon, however, he was omitted from the lineups for Brentford’s fixtures against Benfica and Estrela da Amadora.

He has since been undergoing physiotherapy and is scheduled to have another scan next week to determine whether or not he will miss the start of the season.

This injury setback may have a major influence over Man United’s pursuit of Toney in this transfer window.

Last week, The Peoples Person discussed Thomas Frank’s desperation to sell Toney in order to avoid allowing him to depart the club for free when his contract lapses next summer. As a result, they reportedly slashed their asking price for the England international by roughly £30 million to £50 million in a desperate move to get some money for the player.

The Athletic’s article confirmed this claim, explaining: “Rather than leave on a free transfer in 11 months, Brentford would prefer to sell Toney this summer for what they regard as fair market value.”

While United may have signed Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee this summer, the club has retained its interest in Toney, reportedly holding internal discussions over making a move for Toney.

Just two days ago, reports emerged that United would be open to bidding on the Brentford goal machine should his value drop below £40 million, not a far way off from his current price tag.

Still, even if a deal for Toney appears to be in the realms of possibility, United’s pursuit could be in vain as Brentford will need to consider whether the Englishman needs to remain at the club in order to fill in for his would-be replacement should Thiago be unavailable at the start of the season.

Without Toney or Thiago, Brentford’s only recognised striker remaining is Yoane Wissa. Clearly, it would not be feasible for Frank to rely solely on Wissa up front in case he too becomes unavailable at any point in the season.

Although Toney may be an appealing signing due to his enormous goal threat, he does not appear to be a player that United should lose sleep over, especially with young emerging talents such as Rasmus Hojlund and Zirkzee already in their ranks.

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