Arsenal have seemingly been handed a transfer boost in the race to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney this summer.
Edu eyeing Toney among other Arsenal striker targets
On the field, Mikel Arteta's men could hardly be in finer form when it comes to their attacking prowess.
Arsenal enter race to sign "rising star" and long time Spurs target
Looks like Edu wants to get one over on their rivals…
ByTom CoatesMar 4, 2024
The Gunners boast 31 goals over their last seven Premier League matches, as Arsenal rediscover their finest form and strongly contend for a first Premier League title in 20 years. However, it remains the case that Arteta and sporting director Edu are seeking to add a new striker to Arsenal's ranks later in the year.
The likes of Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres have been linked, among others, but Toney is a name that refuses to go away where the north Londoners are concerned.
Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest
8.18
Wolves 2-0 Brentford
7.65
Tottenham 3-2 Brentford
7.57
Brentford 1-4 Liverpool
7.45
West Ham 4-2 Brentford
6.96
The England international has been on Arsenal's radar since as far back as last summer, as rumours would suggest, with pundit Ally McCoist telling Arsenal to sign Toney as a player who could be the difference between silverware and an empty trophy cabinet.
“I like Eddie Nketiah but I don’t think he is going to win you the Premier League," McCoist told the media (via The Standard).
"He will score goals and chip in a fair amount, but if you’re talking about Arsenal wanting to win the league, I don’t think they’re going to do it with Nketiah as their number nine – as harsh as it may sound.
“Right now, Arsenal don’t have anybody that they can turn to who will score them 15, 20, 25 goals in a season. Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus will still score goals, but not as many as they need to win the title – that is the problem.
“Ivan Toney is exactly what Arsenal need! He is a proper, out-and-out centre forward. He can drop in and link the play if you want him to, but he also gets in the box and scores goals."
The presence of other sides in the Toney race, like Chelsea and Man United who also want a new number nine, poses a big threat to Arteta signing Toney – but reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared a boost for the club in this regard.
Fabrizio Romano shares Ivan Toney boost for Arsenal
Speaking to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are now out of the race to sign Toney, which hands Arsenal a greater chance of landing him given the lesser competition.
"I’m not sure Chelsea are that convinced on Ivan Toney anymore, I think they’ve started to look at different kinds of strikers in terms of age," said Romano.
"Toney could be an option for Arsenal, but we’ll see. Manchester United will also be in the market for a striker – they have to decide internally if they want an experienced striker, and if so Toney could be a fantastic opportunity.”
Since returning from his ban for alleged gambling breaches, Toney has scored four goals in eight league appearances.