Manchester United must consider a shock viral video of Ivan Toney’s potential transfer

Manchester United are keen on a new striker this summer and Ivan Toney has been linked.

Toney has a proven Premier League goalscoring record, is a talented striker and looks set for a move to a bigger club, but there is a gray area that cannot be ignored.

The 28-year-old does not appear to have the character required for a move to Old Trafford. He has the necessary confidence and ability, but there are doubts whether he would be a good addition to the dressing room after an incident in Dubai in January 2022.

Toney was on holiday over the winter break and said “f*** Brentford” in a woman’s Instagram story, a short video which later went viral on social media.

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After the video gained thousands of views, Toney released a statement and apologized. “I am aware of a video that has been published on social media,” he said. “In it I used unacceptable language. The video was shortened and edited, but I have to accept the impact it had.

“I realize I shouldn’t have put myself in this position. I explained to the gaffer what happened and apologized, but I want to apologize to all the Brentford fans.

“I respect the way you support the team and I have to say how much I enjoy playing for the club and for you. I will be back in training next week working hard to score more goals to win more games for us. the rest season.”

Toney disrespected Brentford and the club’s supporters in just two words. He took responsibility for his actions and apologized, but it left questions surrounding his character.

Everyone makes mistakes and a lack of judgment doesn’t define someone forever, but when a football club spends a multi-million pound fee to sign a player, they want every box ticked and Toney he hasn’t failed in one important area – United don’t need problems off the pitch.

Brentford launched an investigation into Toney’s viral video and the matter was quickly put to bed. Toney scored in the first game after the winter break and finished the 2021/22 season with 14 goals in all competitions, which helped smooth things over with Brentford’s fans.

In the following campaign, Toney enjoyed the best year of his career and scored 20 Premier League goals, confirming him as one of the league’s top scorers.

Brentford fans forgave Toney for his cursed outburst and his goals certainly helped. He is the Bees’ all-time leading goalscorer and it didn’t take long for that relationship to heal.

Thomas Frank gave Toney his unwavering support during his time in charge at Brentford, and Gareth Southgate named the striker in his England squad for Euro 2024. Southgate wouldn’t include a bad apple in his squad and clearly doesn’t has doubts about his character.

Toney may have matured in the last couple of years and an episode like the ‘f*** Brentford’ incident may not happen again – but it may not be a risk worth taking for 50 million of pounds sterling.

United need another striker to back up Rasmus Hojlund and Toney would be a great addition on paper. His record suggests he is a Premier League goalscorer and would bring a presence to the attack, but his character could be a clouded doubt in an assessment of his profile.

Erik ten Hag was appointed from Ajax in 2022 because he is a disciplinarian. He was brought in at United to restore standards and was forced to deal with questionable behavior from Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford during his time in charge.

The Ten Hag doesn’t need any more off-field distractions to contend with, and while Toney’s offense might be solid in the past, it has to be considered when discussing a move for him.

It could be a risk to sign Toney — and one worth taking. He knows where the back of the net is, but United will have to decide if his behavior can be trusted.

Manchester United players should represent the principles of the club.