Brentford striker Ivan Toney has sent a message to Arsenal star Declan Rice on Instagram.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with an interest in Ivan Toney. The north London club are thought to have wanted to secure the once-capped England man’s services in the current January transfer window.
Whilst transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has insisted that the Gunners are keen to bring in a new striker this month, Toney is not a likely arrival at the Emirates Stadium.
One of the main reasons that the 27-year-old will not be signing for Arsenal this winter is that the Bees have put a £100 million price tag on his services.
Arsenal simply cannot afford to stump up such a figure this month. The Gunners only have a limited transfer budget to work with at this time, largely because they spent so heavily in the recent summer transfer window.
Ivan Toney celebrates Arsenal star Declan Rice
The club’s biggest summer expense was the capture of Declan Rice. Arsenal paid a club-record £105 million fee to West Ham United for the midfielder.
Already, though, plenty of Arsenal fans feel that Rice is living up to his price tag. Rice immediately established himself as a star at the Emirates Stadium, has he started the campaign in blistering form.
Not only has the England man continued to shine as one of the standout defensive midfielders in the top flight of English football, but he has also responded to Mikel Arteta’s challenge for him to become a more impactful presence in the final third.
To that end, Rice has already chipped in with 3 goals this season, all of which have been strikes of crucial importance, and include last-gasp winners against Manchester United and Luton Town.
There is plenty to celebrate when it comes to Rice, including his birthday, as he turned 25 on January 14th. To mark the occasion, Toney reached out to the Arsenal man on Instagram, with a message reading, “Happy birthday my guy”.
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