Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith says that Manchester United should have signed Ivan Toney who moved to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli. 

Toney, 28, wanted a move away from Brentford amid interest from Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, however no offer was ever made.

Instead, the striker made a big money move to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Ahli which has put the future of his international career in jeopardy.

Smith believes that his international career is over, he told CasinoApps.com: “I would have thought that Ivan Toney’s England career is over now he’s moved to Saudi Arabia. It’s a difficult one.”

Smith also said that he thinks Toney should have waited rather than moving to the Saudi Pro League. He identified Manchester United as a perfect fit.

“He’s signed his career away in many respects in his prime.” He said, “It’s not like he’s 22 and can think ‘I’ll play a couple of years in Saudi and come back’. It does feel a little sad. I am surprised that there wasn’t an offer from a Premier League club, I thought that Manchester United could have been a club that may have had a nibble given they could do with some more support through the middle and a bit more experience in the striker’s position.

“I just feel a little bit sad about it and maybe he does deep down as well.”

Manchester United opted for Joshua Zirkzee

The Red Devils did sign a striker this summer in the form of Dutch international Johshua Zirkzee. The 23-year-old joined from Bologna in Serie A for a fee of £36.5m.

He scored on his debut for the club against Fulham on the opening day but has not been able to do much since, which begs the question of whether United should have opted for Toney instead.

The former Brentford striker has a lot more experience, but Zirkzee has youth on his side, see below the two attackers’ career stats compared.