Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to sign top target valued at £80m in the January transfer window - Reports
Mikel Arteta reportedly wants Arsenal to sign Ivan Toney in the January window and believes that the Brentofrd star can help them win the Premier League title.
As per a report in the Independent, Arteta is sold on the idea of adding Toney to his squad to bolster the attack. However, the Gunners are aware that Brentford want around £80 million to sell him. Arsenal is also close to FFP limits and will need to sell players to raise funds.
The report claims that Eddie Nketiah is a possible sale in the window amid reports of interest from Crystal Palace.
Brentford director Lee Dykes spoke about interest from Chelsea and Arsenal in Toney and admitted that they would think about a sale only if the price was right. He told the club's official website:
“I am so excited for Ivan to come back because I see him out there in training and he is some player; it looks like he’s never been away. There’s a real ambition from him and I can see in his eyes that he’s going to be better than he’s ever been; I really believe that will be the case. Yes, there will be lots of interest in Ivan in January. Naturally, there should be."
He added:
“He was the third-highest Premier League goalscorer last season - one of them [Harry Kane] has gone to Germany now, so he’s up there as one of the best strikers in the division. He is in the top five in the world, in my opinion. So there should be interest, and maybe the time comes very shortly that Ivan moves on to another club. But they will have to pay a decent transfer fee to acquire his services because he is some talent.”
Ivan Toney is still serving his suspension after he was banned by The FA for betting breaches. He is just over two weeks away from returning to action as the ban will end in the middle of January.
Arsenal urged to consider former Chelsea star instead of Ivan Toney
Chris Sutton has urged Arsenal to sign Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke instead of Ivan Toney. He believes that the Brentford star will be rusty as he is just returning to action, while the former Chelsea striker has been in fine form.
He said on BBC Sport:
"Arsenal are trying to win the title, so they haven't got time to wait for anyone to get up to speed. If we are looking at the names that are supposedly within their grasp, Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke stands out as the best candidate."
Solanke has scored 12 goals in 18 Premier League matches this season, while assisting once. He also scored once in the Carabao Cup.