Manchester United Weigh Ivan Toney Move Amid Benjamin Sesko Injury

Sesko’s injury puts Toney on United’s radar

Benjamin Sesko’s absence has turned Manchester United’s search for a centre-forward into a live question. He’s been out with a shin injury since 19 September, and United are weighing options for the rest of the season. Ivan Toney is among them: the Al-Ahli striker has scored 12 Saudi Pro League goals this season. United have reportedly dropped their interest in Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is in advanced talks over a new contract. Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton are also said to be watching Toney. That makes this a crowded market, though the reports don’t establish that any club has made a formal move.

Why the transfer index says “possible”

The Football Whispers Index gives a Toney move to United a score of 57 out of 100, or “Possible.” Its five weighted measures point to an uneven case: United’s finances and need score relatively well; Al-Ahli’s incentive to sell and Toney’s motivation to leave do not. The assessment was updated on 2 November 2026. Read how the index works. That score is more revealing than the headline label. United may be able to afford a deal, but affordability doesn’t settle the harder questions: whether Al-Ahli will entertain a sale, whether Toney would accept a lower wage, and whether United need him once Sesko returns.

The fee looks manageable; the wages are harder

United reported €793.1 million in revenue for the 2024/25 season, putting them among the Premier League’s biggest earners. Transfermarkt values Toney at €20 million, though no fee has been attached to the reported enquiries. He is under contract at Al-Ahli until 30 June 2028. The bigger obstacle is his reported salary: close to £420,000 a week, the highest at the Saudi club. That exceeds the £320,000 a week Manchester United pay captain Bruno Fernandes. United could afford a transfer fee; matching Toney’s current terms would be another matter. And until a fee is actually proposed, the price of the deal remains unknown.

Sesko’s recovery will shape United’s need

Sesko is pencilled in to return in early January 2027. Before his injury, he had played just 76 Premier League minutes and scored once this season. Toney, by comparison, has 12 goals and two assists in 774 Saudi Pro League minutes, with an 8.29 FotMob rating. The numbers make an eye-catching contrast, but they don’t account for the difference between the leagues. United have also used Matheus Cunha, Joshua Zirkzee, Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford through the middle while Sesko has been out. If Sesko’s return is delayed, Toney’s case strengthens. If he comes back on schedule, United may decide their existing options are enough.

Would Toney want the move?

Toney left Brentford for Al-Ahli in 2024 and hasn’t played in the Premier League since. A return would mean stepping back into a more competitive league, but it could also mean giving up a regular starting role: he has played every available Saudi Pro League minute this season. The money adds another complication. Al-Ahli pay him substantially more than United pay their highest earner, and there’s no indication that United would match his current salary. If you’re assessing this as a player decision, a higher competitive level is the clearest attraction; guaranteed playing time and a comparable wage are much less certain.

Al-Ahli have little apparent reason to sell

Al-Ahli have no reported replacement lined up, and Toney’s 12 goals in 774 minutes are his best return since joining the club. The club is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and has given no public sign that it needs to sell. That’s the weakest part of the transfer case. Toney is producing for his current team, and the available information offers little evidence that Al-Ahli would welcome his departure.

Several clubs are monitoring the situation

Caught Offside’s Mark Brus first reported the enquiries on 1 November 2026. The story has since appeared across outlets in several languages, but repetition doesn’t establish that negotiations have advanced. United’s reported withdrawal from the Calvert-Lewin pursuit, after the striker entered advanced talks over a new Leeds contract, is the clearest development in the wider search. Newcastle, Tottenham and Everton have also been credited with monitoring Toney. None is reported to be further along than an enquiry. Still, multiple interested clubs could change the pace if one decides to act.

So, will it happen?

A 57-point rating leaves a United move possible, with the uncertainty centred on Toney’s place in the squad and the terms of any deal. The path becomes more plausible if Sesko’s recovery slips and Toney is willing to accept a substantial pay cut. It narrows if United trust Cunha and Zirkzee to cover the position, or if another interested club moves first. A short-term deal on lower wages looks like the most plausible structure, but that’s an inference, not a reported offer. Sesko’s injury has opened the door. Until there’s a bid or a direct approach from Toney’s representatives, this remains an option United are considering rather than an active negotiation.