Manchester United are only prepared to go as high as £70m in their efforts to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney this summer, according to a report.
Despite managing to fend off interest in their star man during the January window, Bees boss Thomas Frank has conceded that Toney will likely leave the club ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
The England international's contract at the Gtech Community Stadium only runs for another 18 months, and as he is not expected to sign an extension, an exit this summer will be Brentford's last chance to recoup a significant fee.
Arsenal and Chelsea have long been considered the frontrunners for the 27-year-old's signature, but both sides were unable to meet Brentford's £100m price tag over the winter due to Financial Fair Play restrictions.
Following Frank's admission, an intense bidding war for the Brentford striker could materialise over the summer, and Manchester United are also expected to throw their hat into the ring.
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The Red Devils' £72m summer signing Rasmus Hojlund is starting to find his feet at Old Trafford, but a new striker remains a priority given that Anthony Martial's time at the club seems destined to come to an end in a few months' time.
New stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe is supposedly targeting players in the final year of their contracts, and Toney would therefore fit the bill in terms of a summer arrival, but Brentford's financial demands could still prove too steep.
According to The Mirror, Man United are refusing to be drawn into a bidding war for the ex-Newcastle United man, even though Erik ten Hag has earmarked him as an ideal acquisition to end his side's scoring problems.
Brentford will almost certainly have to relent on their £100m demands if they are to negotiate a sale this summer, but the report claims that Man United's best offer will be around the £70m mark, and they will move on to other targets should Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur rival one another for Toney.
The one-cap England international has only made three Premier League appearances this season due to his lengthy betting suspension, but he has hit the ground running in 2024 with two top-flight strikes, taking his total for the Bees to 70 goals from 126 games.
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Toney also played a major role in Neal Maupay's opening strike against Manchester City by holding off Nathan Ake, but the Red Devils are supposedly desperate to avoid a repeat of the Antony situation.
Having risen to prominence at Ajax under Ten Hag, Antony earned an £85m switch to Ajax from the Red Devils in 2022, but he has failed to live up to his mammoth price tag at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian only has nine goals and four assists to show from 69 games in a Man United jersey and has also faced allegations of domestic abuse from former partners, which he has denied.
Before making a move for any top targets, though, Man United will supposedly have to make a number of sales, which could see several high earners cut from the ranks in the near future.
The likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Casemiro and Raphael Varane are all on the chopping block, while Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire's long-term futures are also clouded in uncertainty.
Ben Knapton
