Manchester United are reportedly in the running to sign Ivan Toney, with the forward widely expected to leave Brentford during this summer's transfer window.

The 27-year-old will make his return to football in Saturday's clash between Brentford and Nottingham Forest, having been absent since May due to a suspension for breaching Football Association betting regulations.

Toney scored 21 goals and registered five assists in 25 appearances for the Bees last season, including 20 in the Premier League, and he is believed to be wanted by both Arsenal and Chelsea.

The striker recently said that he has a desire to "play for a top club" and refused to rule out a move away from Thomas Frank's side during the January transfer window.

However, it is highly unlikely that Brentford will sanction a winter move, with the club thought to want in excess of £100m for him this month.

Brentford will find it difficult to keep hold of the Englishman this summer, though, with his contract due to expire in the summer of 2025.

According to journalist Dean Jones, Arsenal and Chelsea are the leading candidates to sign Toney ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

However, Jones claims that Man United, alongside Tottenham Hotspur, are also keeping a close eye on the developments, with the two clubs in the running.

"The first thing to look for with Toney is whether or not he does actually sign a new contract. There's been a lot of talk around it. But so far, there's nothing in place for him to actually do that," Jones told GIVEMESPORT.

"And then all the talk around the new contract was that would include a release clause, which would need to be triggered in the summer for somebody to sign him.

"Now at the moment with that not in place, it obviously seems more feasible that Toney is attainable in the summer. I think there are a lot of clubs that genuinely are looking at Toney, I think that Arsenal and Chelsea are the two main ones.

"In the background, Tottenham and even Manchester United are having a look just in case the situation could change in a way that suits them."

Toney has scored 68 goals and registered 21 assists in 124 appearances for his current side since arriving from Peterborough United in 2020.

Man United paid big money to bring in Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta BC last summer, but Anthony Martial is set to leave on a free transfer at the end of this season, and the club are widely expected to be in the market for a new centre-forward.