Arsenal dealt blow as London rivals overtake them in race to sign £100m star - Reports
Arsenal have been dealt a transfer market blow, as London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly overtaken them in the race to acquire Ivan Toney.
The striker, valued by Brentford at £100 million, looks set to leave the Bees this summer. Manager Thomas Frank has publicly recognized Toney's possible departure, but his final destination is uncertain at this time.
Ivan Toney has been outstanding, playing 10 games this season and scoring four goals after returning from his eight-month ban for gambling breaches. He has been their major goalscorer in recent years, scoring 72 goals in 134 appearances for the side.
Many elite teams have taken notice of this, and Arsenal were one of the first to express interest in the 28-year-old striker. However, their interest seems to have waned, and according to The Sun (via FourFourTwo), Tottenham is ahead of them in the race to sign him.
This could potentially have a big impact on the Gunners, who are still looking to bolster their offensive line. Conversely, Tottenham's progress in this quest to sign Toney seems to be a move to replace Harry Kane, who left the club for Bayern Munich last summer.
West Ham United and Chelsea have also been linked to a move for Toney. For the Blues, though, it looks uncertain that they would move for him this summer. Their financial position is complicated by the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules. They would need to sell players prior to making any new acquisitions.
Arsenal told to sign Newcastle striker as Gunners hunt for new attacker
To increase their ability to score goals, Arsenal are looking to add a new striker to their lineup. It is believed that they will spend a significant amount on a forward in the summer.
Although Gabriel Jesus is currently the Gunners' primary striker, injuries and bad form have limited him to just four goals in 19 Premier League outings this season.
One main candidate to come on board is said to be Newcastle United's Alexander Isak, who has racked up 16 goals in 30 appearances. The Sweded is reportedly of great interest to the Gunners, who are most likely to make a bid to purchase him.
They would have to shell out a lot of cash to acquire him since Newcastle is asking for about £80 million. Journalist Charles Watts believes Isak would be a fantastic addition to the north London side, as he claimed on Inside Arsenal:
“My choice for a striker is Alexander Isak from Newcastle. I just think he’s perfect. When I look at this Arsenal team, I look at how Isak plays, I look at how Arsenal play, I just think it fits.”
The Gunners currently have one of the best attacking forces in the Premier League, having racked up 70 goals in 28 games. However, none of their players are in the top six goalscorers in the league, with Bukayo Saka scoring 13 goals.