According to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal continue to remain interested in signing Brentford striker Ivan Toney ahead of the January transfer window.
The London giants suffered a 2nd successive Premier League defeat on New Year’s Eve and they suddenly find themselves 4th in the table, 2 points behind Liverpool, who could extend the lead tomorrow.
There have been calls from fans to sign a goalscoring striker and speaking in his Caught Offside column, Romano said that the Gunners like Toney but it would take a big amount of money for Brentford to sell.
He said: “As I said before, Arsenal like Toney, but as I always mentioned, Brentford want a big amount of money or there’s no chance for him to move in January. So it will be a difficult deal for Arsenal or any other club.”
New striker
Arsenal had several goal contributors last season and it has been the same case this season. However, the frequency of goals have vastly reduced and this has led to their downfall over the past few weeks.
Bukayo Saka is currently the leading scorer for the Gunners in the top-flight with 6 goals and this is not sufficient for a club aiming to compete with Manchester City and Liverpool for the English crown.
They need a big upgrade at the start of the New Year and Toney could be the answer to their problems. The Englishman was sensational for the Bees last season with 20 league goals before his betting ban which ends on January 17.
He could give the Gunners a better chance of winning the title, but a deal could be expensive as Romano said. Brentford are said to be eyeing up to £80 million for him but they could accept an initial £60 million.
Toney has apparently given the green light to join the Gunners, but Arsenal’s chances of signing him may depend on player sales. Eddie Nketiah could be sold by the club to accommodate Toney’s arrival.
