Striker Ivan Toney is on his way out of Brentford, and his new destination could be Manchester United, as close sources reveal that the English striker has reached a personal agreement on a massive salary with the Red Devils of Manchester.
Toney recently returned to play for Brentford after an 8-month absence due to illegal gambling and has been a top transfer target for Arsenal in recent transfer windows. However, it seems the English striker may not be heading to the North London club but is instead likely to join Manchester United.
According to The Sun’s revelations, MU has had contacts with Toney and his representatives. Personal terms have been discussed and agreed upon, with the English striker set to receive a salary of around £250,000 per week, surpassing even team captain Bruno Fernandes, who currently earns £240,000 per week.
In reality, Brentford is keen to hold onto their prized asset, but the enormous salary of £13 million per year is beyond the club’s means. Therefore, rather than persuading Toney to stay, Brentford is likely to try to fetch the highest possible fee for the player, whose contract runs until June 2025.
Manchester United’s wage bill ranks fourth highest in the Premier League, with the club’s players receiving significant salaries.
Last week, there was widespread information that Brentford had reduced their asking price for Toney from £100 million to £40 million. This is entirely understandable, as the 28-year-old striker’s current contract is expiring soon, and he has no desire for further extension. This would be a very reasonable amount for Manchester United to bring in a quality striker capable of scoring around 20 goals per season.
At Manchester United, Mason Mount and Anthony Martial are among the players earning £250,000 per week, despite rarely featuring this season. The Red Devils are the fourth highest wage-paying club in the Premier League, but their on-field performance has been poor, sitting seventh in the Premier League table and exiting European competitions early.
However, it is highly likely that in this summer’s transfer window, Manchester United will significantly reduce their wage bill as their new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is set to revolutionize the squad and offload many underperforming or overpaid players. Martial is the first name set to depart, followed by players like Casemiro, Raphael Varane, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, or Jadon Sancho.