We 'signed' the perfect Rasmus Hojlund alternative for Manchester United – his impact was huge

With Rasmus Hojlund set to miss the start of the season through injury and having struggled at times during his first season with Manchester United, Ivan Toney could be the perfect alternative for Erik ten Hag's side.

United have already signed a new striker this summer with Joshua Zirkzee making the move to Old Trafford, but with Zirkzee having no experience in England, a Premier League-proven striker could be what's needed in Ten Hag's squad.

A name that has been linked with United this summer is England and Brentford striker Toney. After serving an eight-month ban from football for breaking Football Association gambling rules, the striker has set his sights on a move to one of the 'big six' Premier League clubs.

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So, if Toney were to move to United this summer, how could he perform? We simulated the 2024/25 season to find out.

To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to move Toney from Brentford to United. We then simulated the 2024/25 season, and this is how the striker performed.

It was a good thing that Toney signed for United in the simulation, because a mix of injuries and poor form saw Zirkzee struggle in his first season in England, while Hojlund also found it hard at times, registering an average rating per game of 6.92. The latter did manage to grab an impressive 14 goals, but Toney eclipsed that in a fantastic season for United.

In 47 appearances across all competitions, Toney scored 22 goals and grabbed five assists, with his average rating per game a healthy 7.11. Marcus Rashford enjoyed an impressive campaign with 14 goals and an average rating of 7.44 per