Former Nottingham Forest and England full-back Stuart Pearce has now urged Arsenal to do all they can to secure the services of Ivan Toney this month.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with Ivan Toney for some time.
However, the fact that Brentford have put a £100 million price tag on the once-capped England striker could prove an insurmountable obstacle for the Gunners, who only have a limited transfer budget at their disposal this month.
That being said, it is thought that Toney would welcome an approach from the north London club. Having not played any football so far this season due to serving a ban for breaching betting rules, the 27-year-old will be desperate to make up for lost time and prove that he has what it takes to shine at the highest level.
Of course, Arsenal are also keen to bolster their attacking contingent. According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, bringing a new goalscorer, as well as a left-back, to the Emirates Stadium this month is a priority for the Gunners.
As far as Stuart Pearce is concerned, Toney is the ideal candidate to fill this attacking vacancy in the Arsenal squad. Speaking on talkSPORT, the 61-year-old said, “I have seen Arsenal a few times as of the last month, and there has been speculation about Arsenal being interested in him.”
“Prior to that I thought that Toney owes Brentford because he has been away for a long period of time, but the more I watch Arsenal, the more I think Arsenal are so desperate for a centre-forward that has got character and charisma, and I think this kid has.”
“I think he has got arrogance as a centre-forward, and I think he could be everything they want. Whether they are going to put money down and what the reaction from Brentford will be will be interesting to see.”
Can Gabriel Jesus step up and provide what Ivan Toney would bring to Arsenal?
Toney would certainly be an exciting addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad. He has already proven that he can be prolific at Premier League level, as he netted 20 times in the top flight over the course of last season.
Of course, it would still be a big ask for Toney to hit the ground running at Arsenal given his lengthy lay-off. In any case, to get this deal done in January would likely be beyond Arsenal’s financial capabilities.
That being said, the Gunners do need a striker with confidence and swagger, as Pearce suggests. Arteta will be hoping that Gabriel Jesus can step up in the second half of the season and find those traits in his own game.
The Brazilian striker has so much talent, and brings a lot to this Arsenal team, but is simply not prolific enough. So far this season the former Manchester City man has chipped in with just 3 Premier League goals. If he can find a way to be more clinical and efficient in front of goal, then he could be the man to fire Arsenal to a title triumph.
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