According to a report by TEAMtalk, Arsenal have opened talks to sign Brentford forward Ivan Toney who is also a target for Premier League rivals Chelsea.
The Bees striker is currently serving an eight-month ban for breaching the FA’s betting rules but he is going to return in January and there’s a chance he will be playing for a new team at the start of 2024.
Ivan Toney has been with Brentford since 2020 and last season, he scored 20 goals along with four assists in just 33 Premier League matches for the club. He’s highly coveted by several of the big clubs and right now, Chelsea and Arsenal are standing at the front of the queue.
Mikel Arteta believes his team needs a world-class striker to become a balanced side which is why signing a centre-forward is going to be his biggest priority in January and then in the summer. Gabriel Jesus has not found great success since joining from Man City and right now, Arteta has to rely on Eddie Nketiah to lead the line.
Will Ivan Toney choose a move to Arsenal or Chelsea?
Back in August, Ivan Toney had made it clear that he wants to play for the big boys of the English Premier League which indicates that he’s ready for an exit.
He had said in a podcast: “Everyone wants to play at the top of the tree.
“The manager knows that I want to play at the highest level possible and whenever that time comes, so be it. My time at Brentford has been probably the best of my career. The next club I go to will be the right club.”
Romelu Lukaku will not be returning to Chelsea and Nicolas Jackson has also been a failure so the Blues will be out in the market for a new striker which is why they are being linked with Ivan Toney. Todd Boehly has spent massive amounts on new signings and it won’t be any different for the upcoming players either.
Brentford want around £60 million for the 27-year-old and as per the rumours, he is keen to join Arsenal over the other interested clubs.
The Gunners are also keeping tabs on Victor Osimhen but Napoli want cash plus Gabriel Jesus as part of the deal. Osimhen will be a great signing but that deal will be very complex which is probably why Arsenal is moving for Toney. Even if Arteta is ready to send Jesus to Italy, his club will still have to pay around £45-50 million because Napoli are demanding north of £100 million for Osimhen.
Also, the 27-year-old is keen to join Arsenal so even if Chelsea join the transfer race, it’s safe to say Toney is going to choose a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Brentford is ready to part ways with Ivan Toney if someone is ready to meet their demands and because Arsenal have already set the ball rolling, it’s safe to say the Gunners are the current favourites to sign the England international.
