Manchester United have reportedly held talks over a potential swoop for Ivan Toney ahead of Friday's transfer deadline.
The Red Devils are close to wrapping up a deal for Manuel Ugarte, who will follow Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui through the door.
And it has now been claimed that Manchester United have also held exploratory talks over a deal for Toney, who is expected to move on from Brentford in the coming days.
That's according to a new report from The Evening Standard, who believe that initial talks have been held between the top brass at Old Trafford and Brentford over a deal for the 28-year-old England star.
United have been linked with Toney previously and signing a new No.9 was their priority heading into the summer. But Zirkzee was signed from Bologna to compete with Rasmus Hojlund, who signed for big money last summer.
Toney has Premier League nous, though, and notched 20 league goals during the 2022/23 campaign before he was banned for eight months for breaching betting rules.
While Toney has failed to land a big move yet, his situation is an intriguing one heading into the final days of the window. He is reported to have a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia on the table, while Chelsea have also held talks over a potential switch.
The Blues have been active this summer and remain in the market for a new striker. They have been linked with both Toney and Victor Osimhen, who is seeking a move away from Napoli, though it's highly unlikely they would attempt to push through deals for both.
Toney has not been selected for either of Brentford's opening Premier League games amid interest in his services, but Thomas Frank was giving little away ahead of Wednesday night's Carabao Cup tie with Colchester United.
The Dane said: “I’m always happy when the window shuts. Then I don’t have to talk about ifs and buts and when and maybes, about a lot of players and of course Ivan. It’s all about Ivan!”
When he was then asked if a deal for Toney was close, Frank added: “Very good question. I actually haven’t asked about that in the last two or three days, so I don’t know actually. He trained well all week with a good attitude.”