Arsenal now given brutal 1% chance to seal Mikel Arteta transfer wish in January

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Brentford boss Thomas Frank does not expect Arsenal to sign Ivan Toney this month.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with Ivan Toney for some time.

Mikel Arteta is certainly keen to bolster his attacking contingent at the Emirates Stadium. As reported by transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners see bringing in a striker, as well as a left-back, to the club in the current January transfer window to be a priority.

However, the Gunners’ prospects of securing the services of Toney now look slim, to say the least. The Bees have already put a £100 million price tag on the 27-year-old, and Thomas Frank has now claimed that he is “99 per cent sure” that the forward will remain at the club this winter, as quoted by Sky Sports. 

Whilst Toney is thought to be open to an approach from Arsenal, if the Danish coach’s words are to be taken at face value, then the north London club stand just a 1% chance of sealing a deal for the striker at this time. 

Even if Brentford weren’t so reluctant to part with Toney, Arsenal would still struggle to finance such a deal. Arteta is currently seeking to move on two first-team Arsenal players in an effort to raise transfer funds, but even if this duo are offloaded a £100 million deal would still be beyond the club’s reach at this time. 

Where do Arsenal turn now after hopes of signing Ivan Toney dashed?

Arsenal are exploring alternative targets. The club apparently recently made a £22 million bid for Getafe striker Borja Mayoral. However, the player himself has suggested that such an offer never actually came to fruition. 

In recent days, Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee. Having previously dealt with the Italian club in the process of signing Takehiro Tomiyasu, there may well be an existing relationship there that sporting director Edu can now take advantage of to negotiate the best deal possible. 

As far as Toney is concerned, though, any hopes Arteta may have had of bringing the once-capped England man to north London this January now appear to be all but dead in the water.

What remains is a sense that Arsenal desperately need to upgrade on their current attacking options. Both Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have struggled to score consistently this season. If Arsenal are to stand any chance of winning a Premier League title this season, or in the future, then they will need a more prolific presence leading the line.