Manchester United Pursue Experienced No 9: Welbeck and Toney Considered

Manchester United’s summer rebuild is starting to take shape, and the next piece on the board looks increasingly likely to be an experienced centre-forward.

With Atalanta midfielder Ederson set to become the club’s first signing of the window – even if the official announcement is still pending – the focus inside Old Trafford is widening. INEOS and sporting director Jason Wilcox are driving a multi-position overhaul: one or two more midfielders to help Michael Carrick reshape the core of the side, a new left-back, a left-winger, and, if the budget stretches, a centre-back.

And then there’s the striker.

United have been tracking options for months. Earlier in the summer, Brentford’s Igor Thiago – last season’s second-highest scorer in the Premier League – emerged as a name on their list, particularly as a contingency if Joshua Zirkzee is moved on. His profile fit the brief of a powerful, goalscoring focal point.

But the picture has shifted.

Thiago was absent from transfer insider Ben Jacobs’ latest update. Instead, two very different, very familiar names have come into sharper focus: Brighton’s Danny Welbeck and Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney.

United want experience, not a project

Speaking on The United Stand, Jacobs outlined the type of striker United now expect to pursue – and it is not a developmental gamble.

“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. A player who understands the grind of a long season, accepts that he “maybe won’t play every single game,” and still embraces that role in a squad aiming to compete on multiple fronts.

That profile matters. United already have younger attacking talent who need minutes and responsibility. What they lack is a seasoned No 9 who can set standards, ease the pressure in key moments, and not demand automatic selection.

This is where Welbeck and Toney come into the conversation for very different reasons.

Welbeck: the romantic return that might not open up

Welbeck’s name has hovered around Old Trafford for some time now. The idea of bringing back the academy graduate, who understands the club and the demands of the Premier League, has clear appeal.

“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.”

It would be a story supporters could get behind: a homegrown forward returning as a wise, experienced squad figure rather than a starlet burdened with expectation.

The problem? Brighton.

Jacobs was clear on one major obstacle: “I don’t think he’s a player that Brighton would want to sell.” Welbeck has become a trusted figure on the south coast, a reliable presence in a side that values continuity and experience every bit as much as United do. Sentiment at Old Trafford is one thing; prising him away from a club that still leans on him is quite another.

So the door isn’t closed, but it isn’t exactly wide open either.

Toney: goals in Saudi, questions over the next step

If Welbeck represents the emotional pull, Ivan Toney offers the raw numbers.

The former Brentford striker, now at Al-Ahli, has been prolific in Saudi Arabia, scoring 32 goals in 32 Saudi Pro League matches. That kind of return always gets noticed in Manchester. United “appreciate” Toney, Jacobs confirmed, and his name is firmly in the mix as they weigh up their options.

There is, however, a major complication: money.

“Wage is partially an issue there because he’s earning well in Saudi Arabia,” Jacobs explained. Any move back to Europe would require Toney to accept a significant change in his financial package or United to stretch their wage structure for a player who, by design, would not be guaranteed to start every game.

Then there’s the question of desire. Rumours have swirled for months that Toney wants out of Saudi Arabia, but Jacobs’ information paints a calmer picture.

“Let’s see what happens after the World Cup with Toney and if he is prepared to leave Saudi,” he said. “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 wait. They admire the player, understand the complications, and know that any movement will likely hinge on Toney’s own decision after the World Cup.

A delicate balance up front

United’s striker hunt is not about ripping up the attack. It is about balance.

Carrick and INEOS want a forward who can handle the pressure of Old Trafford, accept rotation, and still drive standards in the dressing room. Someone who can guide younger players through the season’s rougher patches, not block their path.

Welbeck fits that mould in character and familiarity. Toney fits it in output and presence. Thiago, once a live option, has slipped out of the immediate conversation.

The choice, when it comes, will say a lot about how United see their short-term future: lean into emotion and continuity, or pay for proven goals and force a way through the financial and logistical barriers.

The squad is being rebuilt piece by piece. The next No 9 will tell us how bold – and how pragmatic – this new era at Old Trafford really intends to be.