Thomas Tuchel’s controversial England World Cup call-up could potentially do Manchester United a massive favour in the transfer market
Out of sight, out of mind. It’s the ultimate rule of modern football, and nobody knows it better than Ivan Toney.
When the former Brentford talisman packed his bags for Al-Ahli two years ago, he effectively evaporated from the collective consciousness of Premier League fans. One minute he was one of the most coveted marksmen in England, the next he was a footnote in the Saudi Arabian gold rush.
But football has a funny way of spinning on a dime. And thanks to Thomas Tuchel, Toney is suddenly hurtling back onto Manchester United’s radar.
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Tuchel’s decision to hand Toney a shock call-up for England’s World Cup squad is the kind of wildcard move that keeps the sport gloriously unpredictable. For Toney, it’s a career lifeline. For United, it might just be the ultimate transfer gift wrapped in a Three Lions bow.
Let’s be honest, United’s striking department still needs a bit of surgery this summer. Yes, they signed Benjamin Sesko, and yes, the Slovenian has been doing… okay. He has shown flashes of the high ceiling that convinced the club to bring him in.
But ‘okay’ doesn’t get you back to the top. Right now, Sesko looks like a young striker who could do with some serious competition – someone to push him to the next level and shoulder the goalscoring burden, without completely derailing his development as the long-term first choice No. 9.
United don’t need another £70million superstar to block Sesko’s path – or worse, another Rasmus Hojlund stinking up the place like an absurdly expensive wheel of cheese you can’t bring yourself to throw out. They need a seasoned, ruthless alternative. They need an Ivan Toney.
Ordinarily, suggesting United sign a striker from the Saudi Pro League would trigger a fan backlash of nuclear proportions. Old Trafford would understandably revolt at the prospect of signing someone from a division where the defensive intensity can look like a Sunday league hangover.
But this is where Tuchel has done United the perfect favour.
The World Cup is the ultimate narrative flipper. If Toney stays out in Saudi, a move to United is a PR disaster. But if he bangs in a goal or two in North America this summer, the entire perception changes in a heartbeat.
Suddenly, he isn’t a Saudi outcast – he’s England’s clutch super-sub. The backlash evaporates, replaced by a clamour of fans demanding the club get the deal done. Tuchel is essentially providing United with the perfect shield against a toxic fan reaction. He’s taking the risk so they don’t have to.
And let’s not pretend Toney has forgotten where the back of the net is. He has been scoring goals for fun out there – 72 in 93 matches – just as he did for Brentford before his exit when England’s elite were sniffing around with real intent.
He’s still a proven, battle-hardened Premier League goalscorer and as a summer market opportunity, this is a total no-brainer. Toney would likely be a highly cost-effective, value-for-money signing. He solves United’s short-term crisis – adding immediate goals, physical presence and depth up front – without creating a single long-term headache.
He wouldn’t block Sesko’s path to becoming the main man, nor would his price tag prevent INEOS from going out and signing another world class superstar in a year or two if the opportunity arises.
It’s the low-risk, high-reward deal United have missed out on too many times in the past. They just needed someone to bridge the gap and sell it to the fans.
Thomas Tuchel might have just done exactly that. Over to you, United.
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