Arsenal Taking Serious Steps to Sign Brentford Striker Ivan Toney

According to recent reports, Arsenal are taking some serious steps to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the upcoming summer transfer window. Manager Mikel Arteta wants to bring in a striker and has identified the Englishman as the perfect choice.

The North Londoners haven’t been able to solve their centre-forward conundrum, despite bringing in two players in the last two summer windows – Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. The Brazilian has been facing recurring injury issues, while the latter has hardly contributed to goals.

There has been a goals galore for the Gunners in recent games, with the Spanish boss playing Leandro Trossard as the centre-forward. However, the absence of a consistent goal-scoring number 9 in crucial games can hurt them pretty bad, as was evident in the CL tie against Porto.

Ivan Toney celebrating after scoring a goal, Arsenal, Ivan Toney — Image Obtained Via GOAL

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, Arsenal are seriously interested in signing Brentford forward Ivan Toney and are taking concrete steps to sign him in the summer. The Gunners failed to sign the striker in the January window due to FFP rules, are renewing their interest in the player.

The 27-year-old is convinced on leaving the Bees at the end of the season, despite not having any issues with the club. He is well appreciated by his manager and teammates. As of now, he is in the final two years of his contract at the Gtech Community Stadium and has shown interest in moving to a big club to further his career.

Recently, the North London side have received a major boost in their pursuit of the English attacker. The Bees have confirmed the signing of Igor Thiago from Club Brugge as a replacement, but he will continue playing for the Belgian side before joining in the upcoming summer.

The Brazilian has signed a contract for five years, with the option of extension for an additional year. The signing of Thiago at Brentford makes a strong case for the arrival of Ivan Toney to Arsenal. Also, Frank confirmed the rumors during a press conference by saying,

“It is relatively obvious that Ivan will probably be sold this summer. I don’t think there are many strikers in the world who are better than him right now.”

Writing for Tribal Football, Galetti claimed that the Bees could ask for a fee of £55m to sell Toney. He also mentioned that other top English clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea are keeping tabs on the Brentford striker, although Arsenal are in a much better position to sign the 27-year-old.

Stats With Brentford

Ivan Toney has had a great time playing for Thomas Frank’s side. In the 2022-23 season, the Englishman scored 20 goals and 4 assists in 33 matches in the Premier League (stats via Transfermarkt), which also earned him a call-up to the England national team.

At the beginning of this season, he was slapped with an 8-month ban after being convicted of breaching the betting rules. The striker continues to impress with his impactful performances after returning in January and has already scored 4 goals in 7 matches.

Will Toney Be A Good Fit For Arsenal?

Without a doubt, Ivan Toney is an experienced and proven striker in the Premier League. This fact makes the Gunners even more determined to make a move for him. He would be a great addition to the squad, and would address the center-forward conundrum.

Mikel Arteta is eager to bring in an effective number 9 and it would be interesting to see if the North London side are able to confirm their signing of the 27-year-old centre-forward. Meanwhile, it’s also been reported that Napoli forward Victor Osimhen is on the Gunners’ radar too.

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