In a recent interview with the Done Deal Show, journalist Ben Jacobs revealed that Arsenal could move in for Brentford forward Ivan Toney next summer. Jacobs said,
“Arsenal could move for a forward, but only if the right name became available. I still think that they could look very seriously at Ivan Toney in the summer or even on a free in the summer of 2025, but I think they’re very aware they can’t get him in this window for under £100m,”
Toney’s Impressive Form In The Premier League Last Season
Toney is yet to feature for the Bees this season as he had to serve an eight-month suspension. However, the English talent had a terrific spell at Brentford last season when he put in a run of impressive displays as the focal point of their attack.
The 27-year-old banged in 21 goals and grabbed five assists in 35 matches for the Bees in the previous campaign across all fronts. Toney led the line well for the Bees and deserves some credit for averaging 2.8 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game in the Premier League. However, he lacked quality when distributing possession up top based on his pass success rate of 62% in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Should Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Go For Toney Next Summer?
On his day, Toney can be a decent finisher in front of the opponent’s goal and can make a few driving runs with the ball in and around their penalty area. He can even use his strong 1.85m frame to win a few important aerial duels for his team. However, as mentioned earlier, the English forward has to find a way to improve his passing accuracy in the final third if he intends to taste success in top-flight football.
We can expect someone with Toney’s skillset to bring plenty of goals to Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta‘s attack. He is good enough to compete with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah for a regular starting spot at the Emirates Stadium in the coming seasons.
Hence, the Gunners should think about going for the English forward if they want to compete for multiple trophies in the future. At 27, Toney is about to enter his prime and has what it takes to make an instant impact at the North London club if Arteta manage to get him on board at the end of this campaign.
