Arsenal are reportedly set to step up their pursuit of Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney.
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According to a report from the Daily Mirror, Arsenal have made signing Toney in the January transfer window a priority.
Per the report, Brentford will be willing to let Toney leave for around $73 million and at that price plenty of Premier League giants will be sniffing around in January.
The striker, who scored 20 goals last season in the Premier League and has 32 goals in just 66 games in the competition, is currently serving an eight month ban after being charged with breaching the Football Association’s betting regulations.
Toney will be available for action in January 2024, just in time for the winter transfer window to open.
Would this be a good move for Arsenal?
Toney, 27, has proven himself in the Premier League and he looks destined for a move to one of the big boys.
Arsenal’s lack of clinical finishing has long been an issue with an over-reliance on attacking midfielders Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka to deliver the goals to mount a title push.
Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have both stepped up admirably at different times over the last 12 months but as their 2-2 draw in the north London derby against Tottenham on Sunday proved, Arsenal need a clinical finisher to convert a bigger percentage of the many, many chances they create.
Toney is also a very different central striker to Jesus and Nketiah and his physicality and aerial ability shows he can become a focal point and provide something unique to Arsenal’s attacking unit.
In many ways Toney would be the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu have meticulously assembled a talented, young and hungry squad and Arsenal’s defense has improved drastically, Declan Rice is now their main man in the holding role and their attacking midfielders almost drove them to a Premier League title win last season.
But finding a goalscorer who can guarantee 20-25 goals per season is the final player they need to mount a title challenge to Manchester City on a yearly basis. Given that Pep Guardiola has Erling Haaland, the goals the Norwegian machine delivers is pretty much the reason why City pipped Arsenal to the title last season. The Gunners have to rectify that imbalance and the only answer is more goals.
