Arsenal prioritise signing of 160-goal striker after Chelsea overtake Gunners in race for second hitman
Arsenal and Chelsea continue to do battle over the signings of some of the best strikers in Europe, and while Mauricio Pochettino’s side are hoping to lure Victor Osimhen away from Napoli, TEAMtalk can reveal the Gunners are ready to pounce for Brentford ace Ivan Toney.
Toney is now eligible to play for Brentford again after a sustained period on the sidelines due to a long-term suspension for gambling breaches. The Premier League side are delighted to have him back and look forward to keeping hold of him until the summer.
However, his future will be up in the air once the season is over, as a number of major clubs have been linked including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. As things stand, one Premier League giant in particular is very keen to try and engineer a summer deal.
The striker would love to play at the Emirates in the red of Arsenal and that dream is very much possible. Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Mikel Arteta’s side will prioritise his capture come the summer.
Arsenal have also been credited with an interest in Napoli’s Osimhen. But the Gunners believe he is out of reach, as both Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are in stronger positions to snare the Nigerian in a big-money deal.
Nevertheless, there is a need for a goal-hungry No 9 at Arsenal, and Toney’s representatives have been in continuous contact with the North London side. The two parties are hopeful a summer move can be agreed.
Brentford are confident that the 27-year-old will sign a new deal, and TEAMtalk exclusively revealed on January 8 that the fresh terms will include a hefty release clause worth in the region of £80million.
Toney is not the only centre-forward Arsenal have taken note of, as they are also tracking Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres in case the Englishman cannot be signed. But Gyokeres is not admired as strongly as Toney, as the latter has shown he is capable of being deadly in the Premier League.
Toney remains committed to Brentford for the remainder of the season and will not move in January, despite the intense speculation. He is grateful and very pleased with how the Bees have looked after him in the midst of his gambling ban.
Toney has played 124 times for Brentford to date, registering 68 goals and 21 assists in that time. Overall, his senior record stands at an impressive 160 goals and 56 assists from 392 appearances.
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