According to journalist Dean Jones, Arsenal are more likely to sign Ivan Toney instead of Victor Osimhen during the summer transfer window.
The Gunners are set to invest on a top-class striker at the end of the campaign amid their struggles up front. Osimhen and Toney have both been linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium over the past few months but speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones said that Arsenal are likelier to purchase Toney.
The reputed journalist revealed that Arsenal may not go head-to-head with Chelsea for the signing of Osimhen, who has a release clause worth £112 million in his deal. Jones added that the Gunners could instead pursue a player of Toney’s level in the summer transfer market, he said:
“It’s a lot of money. I’d be flabbergasted if Arsenal exceeded the amount of money they spent on Declan Rice and that’s probably what it’s going to take to sign Osimhen. It’s never great to go head-to-head with Chelsea on a signing and that makes me feel like Arsenal might end up coming away from it.”
“There are other players out there that I think could fit the bill for them. At the moment, even Ivan Toney though is being played down to me and people say inside the club that Toney’s not on the radar. We’ll have to wait and see about that because I have heard otherwise. But certainly Arsenal are going to be in the market for a player of that level.”
Possible transfer
Arsenal presently have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as their main strikers. The duo have netted only 9 goals in the Premier League and the Gunners need much more from their centre-forwards if they want to become genuine challengers for the top-flight title over the next few years.
Napoli’s Osimhen has been touted to move to the Premier League for some time, but the big question mark is whether the club would be willing to break their transfer record to sign him. The Nigerian star is very talented but he is also injury-prone. He may also need to adapt after arriving from Serie A.
In comparison, Toney has already proved his worth in the English top tier. He netted 20 times in the previous campaign for Brentford. Since his return from an 8-month betting ban, he has kicked on with 2 goals from 3 appearances this season.
He could be signed for £80 million in the summer. It won’t be a surprise if Arsenal choose to recruit him instead of Osimhen. Arsenal may not want to overspend on a striker as they are also likely to reinforce other departments this summer.
