Manchester United's Striker Search: Welbeck vs Toney
Manchester United’s striker search is edging towards experience rather than excitement, with Danny Welbeck and Ivan Toney emerging as realistic options for a squad that needs know-how as much as it needs goals.
INEOS’ first summer in full control has already brought a breakthrough in midfield, with Atalanta’s Ederson set to become the club’s first signing of the window, even if the formal announcement is still pending. The plan does not stop there. United want another one or two midfielders to help Michael Carrick reshape the core of his team, while a new left-back and a left-winger sit high on Jason Wilcox’s to-do list.
If the budget stretches, centre-back and centre-forward reinforcements are also on the table. That is where the picture has started to sharpen.
From Igor Thiago to old heads
Earlier in the summer, Brentford’s Igor Thiago featured among the names under discussion. The Brazilian, who finished with the second-highest goal tally in the Premier League last season, was viewed as a possible successor if Joshua Zirkzee is moved on.
Back in June, journalist Ben Jacobs outlined United’s thinking.
He explained that the club had begun exploring what he called the “old and more experienced category” of strikers, with Thiago an exception to that trend in case Zirkzee departed. It was an early hint that the club were no longer fixated on another raw project up front, but on someone who understands the grind of a long season and the demands of a dressing room under scrutiny.
Now the focus has narrowed. In Jacobs’ latest update, Thiago’s name disappeared from the conversation. Two others have taken centre stage: Brighton’s Danny Welbeck and Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney.
Welbeck return would hit the heart
Welbeck is the romantic option. A United academy product, a player who knows Old Trafford, the expectations, the noise. His name has already been floated as a popular idea among supporters, and Jacobs acknowledged that on The United Stand.
His assessment was clear: if United move for a number nine, the profile is likely to be an experienced figure who can set standards off the pitch and accept a rotational role on it. Someone prepared to play his part across four competitions without demanding to start every week.
Welbeck fits that mould. He would not arrive as the main man, but as a steadying presence and a useful squad striker. The snag is Brighton. There is no indication the south-coast club are keen to cash in, and Jacobs stressed that nothing is actively developing on that front yet.
Toney: goals in Saudi, questions in Europe
If Welbeck is the sentimental choice, Ivan Toney is the headline one.
Since his move to Al-Ahli, Toney has been ruthless in front of goal, scoring 32 times in 32 Saudi Pro League matches. That return has not gone unnoticed at Old Trafford, and United, according to Jacobs, “appreciate” the former Brentford striker.
He brings something different: penalty-box sharpness, penalty-taking composure, and the physical edge that Premier League managers crave. He has also been part of England’s World Cup squad, a marker of his pedigree at the highest level.
The problem is money and motivation. Toney is earning heavily in Saudi Arabia, and any move back to Europe would require a serious financial effort from United and a major pay cut from the player. Despite constant rumours that he wants out, Jacobs has consistently been briefed that Toney is content with his life in Saudi Arabia, both on a football and family level.
The key question, as Jacobs put it, is what happens after the World Cup. Only then will it become clear whether Toney is genuinely ready to swap comfort and goals in the Gulf for the pressure cooker of Old Trafford.
United’s equation up front
For now, United’s striker strategy is defined by balance rather than fantasy. Zirkzee’s future remains a pivot point. If he stays, the club want an older forward to complement him. If he goes, the need becomes sharper, the margin for error slimmer.
What is clear from Jacobs’ insight is the type of character United are targeting: a seasoned professional, strong in the dressing room, realistic about minutes, and capable of helping a young squad navigate a season in which the club expects to compete on multiple fronts.
Welbeck would bring familiarity and a feel-good factor. Toney would bring goals and edge, if the finances and his own ambitions align.
The names are on the table. The budget is defined. The question now is simple: which kind of experience do Manchester United trust to lead their line into a new era?
