Manchester United Target Experienced No.9: Welbeck or Toney?

Manchester United’s summer rebuild is edging towards a familiar conclusion: for all the talk of potential and resale value, they want an old-fashioned, seasoned centre-forward to steady the front line.

INEOS and sporting director Jason Wilcox have already moved in midfield, with Atalanta’s Ederson set to become the first signing of the window, even if the club has yet to rubber-stamp the deal publicly. More bodies are expected in that area as Michael Carrick reshapes the core of his team, while a new left-back and left-winger sit high on the to-do list.

If the budget stretches, a centre-back could follow. But the growing noise around Old Trafford is about the No.9 position – and this time the profile is clear: experience, personality, and a willingness to share the stage.

From Igor Thiago to proven veterans

Earlier in the summer, Manchester United were linked with Brentford’s Igor Thiago, fresh from finishing as the Premier League’s second-highest scorer last season. Journalist Ben Jacobs revealed that United had been tracking the Brazilian as part of a wider search for strikers who could step in if Joshua Zirkzee were moved on.

Back in June, Jacobs outlined the early thinking.

“While it is very initial and player-led at this stage, Man Utd are 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,” he explained.

That line told its own story: United’s recruitment team were already leaning towards a different age bracket, using Thiago as the outlier rather than the model.

Now, in Jacobs’ latest update, Thiago’s name has dropped out of the conversation. Two very different, but very familiar, forwards have stepped in: Brighton’s Danny Welbeck and Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney.

Dressing-room presence over guaranteed minutes

Speaking on The United Stand, Jacobs sketched out the type of striker United are now prioritising.

“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. “And come in during a long season knowing that they maybe won’t play every single game, but they’re ok with that role and responsibility in a season when Man United will hope to challenge on multiple fronts.”

That is the crux of the search. United are not hunting for a marquee, play-every-minute superstar. They want a player who can handle rotation, support a young attacking core, and still deliver when called upon.

Welbeck fits that brief emotionally as much as tactically. A product of United’s academy, a fan favourite in his first spell, and now a respected senior figure at Brighton, his name inevitably stirs nostalgia around Old Trafford.

“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.”

The romance is obvious. The reality is harder. Brighton, well-run and ambitious, have little incentive to part with a versatile, experienced forward who understands their system and the league inside out.

Ivan Toney on the radar – but at a price

If Welbeck represents the sentimental option, Ivan Toney looks like the harder-nosed, goals-first alternative.

Toney, who earned a place in England’s World Cup squad, has been ruthless in Saudi Arabia, scoring 32 goals in 32 Saudi Pro League matches for Al-Ahli. That strike rate has not gone unnoticed at Carrington.

“Ivan Toney is a name that I’ve mentioned before, who Man United appreciate,” Jacobs said.

The problem is not the fee alone. It is the wage packet.

“Wage is partially an issue there because he’s earning well in Saudi Arabia,” Jacobs added. “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 find themselves in a familiar position: admiring a proven goalscorer whose current situation makes any move complicated. Toney would bring penalty-box authority, set-piece threat and a clear focal point. But prising him away from a lucrative, settled life in Saudi Arabia will test both their finances and their powers of persuasion.

A decisive call at centre-forward

United’s summer so far has been about structure: tightening the spine with Ederson, targeting more midfield energy, and addressing obvious gaps on the left side. The search for a striker cuts deeper. It speaks to the mentality of the squad and how Carrick wants his team to handle a season fought “on multiple fronts”.

Do they lean into sentiment and dressing-room chemistry with someone like Welbeck, if Brighton can even be brought to the table? Or do they push for a high-impact finisher like Toney and try to drag him back from Saudi Arabia’s comfort and cash?

The names are on the list. The profile is agreed. The next centre-forward through the door will say a lot about what kind of Manchester United INEOS intend to build – and how quickly they expect it to start winning.