Transfer journalist David Ornstein has now revealed where Arsenal currently stand in their pursuit of Ivan Toney. Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move...
Transfer journalist David Ornstein has now revealed where Arsenal currently stand in their pursuit of Ivan Toney.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney for some time now.
Whilst Arsenal are known to be on the lookout for a new striker, it will be difficult for the north London club to make a landmark signing in the upcoming January transfer window as they only have a limited budget at their disposal as things stand.
Toney would not come to the Emirates Stadium cheaply. According to David Ornstein, speaking to BBC Sport, Toney “is under contract until the summer of 2025 so it’s Brentford’s last opportunity to maximise their value in him. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen though because the price is going to be really high. They’d like £100m, and who is prepared to pay that? I think there’s been some interest but no real contact at this stage.”
“You’ve got Arsenal, rumoured to be after Ivan Toney but I don’t know of any developments on that front. Their plan for a striker would be more to look towards the summer for financial reasons.”
“I wouldn’t rule out free-agency in the summer of 2025. Brentford would want to tie him down to a new deal but I don’t think they’d get to the salary levels he’d want. Maybe a release-clause in there, but I think that would be a massive risk for Ivan Toney.”
Ivan Toney unlikely to join Arsenal
£100 million would be a huge price to pay for Toney. Of course, the once-capped England man is an excellent player, and has proven his ability to be prolific at Premier League level, having netted 20 times in the competition last season.
However, the 27-year-old is currently serving a ban for breaching betting rules, and as such has not played at all so far this season. He is not due to return to action until January, and will undoubtedly, and understandably, be rusty when he does take the field again. Toney will need some time to get back up to speed with playing at the highest level.
It would therefore be a huge ask for Toney to hit the ground running at Arsenal if he were to join the club in January. However, instant impact is exactly what Mikel Arteta would require from any striker arriving this winter.
Arsenal look set to be involved in a tight title race this season. Anyone who arrives to bolster Arteta’s ranks in January must be able to contribute significantly to this title push from the off.
Does Mikel Arteta need a new striker?
There is certainly a strong argument that a new striker ought to be at the top of Arteta’s shopping list this winter. Gabriel Jesus, for all his quality, is far from prolific and endured a dreadful time in front of goal against West Ham United last time out. The Brazilian forward has just 3 Premier League goals to his name so far this season. The Gunners need a more clinical presence leading the line, and Jesus has himself admitted that goalscoring is not one of his greatest strengths.
It would seem, though, that Toney is not considered the solution to this issue facing Arteta’s squad. It could be that the Gunners are not able to bring in the talismanic striker they need until the summer. If that is the case, there will be real pressure on Jesus to up his game in the second half of the campaign.