£500,000-a-week star to Man Utd ‘NOT going to happen’ – top source | OneFootball

Manchester United will not sign Ivan Toney from Al-Ahli in the January transfer window, sources have told TEAMtalk, despite concerns about the injury suffered by Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko has been on the sidelines since he suffered a knee injury in the Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on November 8. Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim has said that the Red Devils are “taking care of the injury”, with the Slovenia international striker unlikely to be back in action before mid-December.

Matheus Cunha is an option for Man Utd to play as a striker in Sesko’s absence, although the Brazil international will not feature against Crystal Palace on Sunday as he continues to recover from a knock suffered in training last week, which saw him miss the Red Devils’ 1-0 defeat to Everton at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Monday night.

Joshua Zirkzee led the line for Man Utd against Everton and is very likely to keep his place in the first XI against Palace, too.

Ahead of the opening of the January transfer window, Man Utd have been linked with Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, too, has been mentioned, but TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, has reported that such deals are unlikely to happen in January.

Dean has also categorically ruled out a move for Ivan Toney to Man Utd in the January transfer window.

Toney was linked with Man Utd before he left Brentford for Al-Ahli in the summer of 2024.

There have been talks that Toney could return to the Premier League on a loan deal in the middle of the season so that he stands a strong chance of getting into the England squad for the 2026 World Cup finals next summer.

However, at the Saudi Pro League club, Toney earns £400,000 a week after tax, rising to £500,000 a week with add-ons and performance bonuses, according to The Daily Mail.

At Al-Ahli, Toney has scored 41 goals and given eight assists in 61 matches in all competitions.

Those are impressive numbers, but Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not going to sanction a move for the 29-year-old English striker given the total cost of the deal, including transfer/loan fee.

Jones told TEAMtalk when asked if Man Utd will sign a new striker because of Sesko’s injury: “I don’t think it is a surprise that Sesko’s return is going to take a little time.

“Some people may feel like this is a longer lay off than initially expected, but I was always told Man Utd will not rush him back and that it would not even be a surprise if we barely see him this side of Christmas.

“I don’t think they see many good options in the market to go and sign a new striker at this moment, either.

“I have not heard of anything optimistic in that sense.

“It is a position where a market opportunity might provide a breakthrough, but when people talk about Guirassy or Vlahovic or Mateta…these sorts of names just are not looking realistic for January.

“I have seen Ivan Toney mentioned as well, but that is not going to happen.”

Latest Man Utd transfer news: Amad Diallo 2.0, ‘Next Pedri’ battle

Meanwhile, sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, that Man Utd want another Amad Diallo-type player in the January transfer window.

Our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has reported that Man Utd will have to compete with Newcastle United to sign the ‘next Pedri’.