Actually, there have been a lot of disappointments, annoyances, and inconsistencies with Manchester United’s campaign.

Despite making significant purchases in recent years, the Red Devils’ roster has been somewhat small, and they are now sixth in the Premier League.

Ten-Hag, Fullham, Fernandes, Maguire, Premier League
Erik ten Hag’s inability to play the style of football he demands is partly due to injuries, but other players have also had difficulty living up to their previous season’s achievements.

Marcus Rashford is one of those, but he might be back to his best this summer with a possible new signing.

Man Utd’s pursuit of a forward

In order to solve their center-forward problems, Manchester United spent £72 million to acquire Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta last summer.

Although the Danish attacker had some time to get used to life in the Premier League, since the end of December he has scored seven goals and contributed two assists.

Hojlund, Rasmus, Man, United
But with United eager to improve their offence, Ivan Toney might be “one to watch” this summer, according to a recent Fabrizio Romano interview with CaughtOffside.

“Man Utd are still in the early stages of the process to decide which striker they want to sign; experienced or young,” Romano stated. Internal discussions will occur. Toney will be among the names on the market, so keep an eye on him.

It’s expected that Brentford would ask for about £70 million for their top striker, which would give Hojlund a lot of competition—especially with Anthony Martial set to leave.

How Toney may boost Rashford’s performance

The tenth player for United has struggled to remain consistent this season, even if he is still among the team’s top producers.

alongside seven goals, the 26-year-old is tied for the most goals scored in the Premier League alongside Ten Hag. He appears to be getting back to his previous level of play, having scored in each of United’s last three games, including a crucial equaliser in the Red Devils’ FA Cup victory over Liverpool (4–3).

Man-United, Marcus-Rashford-Hojlund
While those figures aren’t bad, they’re nowhere close to his season-long total of 17 goals and 5 assists in just 32 starts the previous year. However, the attacker may reach his full potential if Toney is signed.

The current Bees forward, despite his 20 goals and four assists from the previous season, is well-known for his physicality and sometimes traditional approach; even manager Thomas Frank has called him a “monster.” This is precisely the kind of profile that Rashford could flourish with.

Toney-Ivan-Brentford
Toney plays in a different system at Brentford than at United, where wingers are more conventional, but his playmaking nicely balances Rashford’s advantages.

The table below illustrates how the 28-year-old’s first England start against Belgium demonstrated his ability to provide goals, ingenuity, and intelligence to Ten Hag’s squad.

Belgium vs Toney

Statistics

Toney

Objectives

1.

Penalties obtained

1.

Snapshots

3.

Pass keys

2.

Accuracy pass

83 percent

Duels prevailed.

4/6

Through Sofascore

The attacker frequently dipped a little bit deeper to open up space behind the defence, showcasing his excellent ball retention and link-up skills. In this same situation, one of the Premier League’s finest players, Rashford, uses his speed to grasp onto through balls, which are almost always from Bruno Fernandes.

Because Toney can get direct passes from the custodian and defence, United can transition much more quickly, which gives the winger more opportunities to hurt the opposition.

Celtic vs. Taylor-Brentford Premier League
The former Peterborough forward is obviously a goal-scorer who excels in the penalty area, which will assist relieve Rashford of the offensive burden while also fostering his inventiveness.

All things considered, the acquisition of Toney might provide United with an alternative up front to Hojlund that might actually restore Rashford’s unstoppable status.