Mikel Arteta has now been warned that Gabriel Jesus won’t be pleased if Arsenal land one of their transfer targets this winter.
Gabriel Jesus may feel that his place at Arsenal is threatened if the club sign a new striker in the upcoming January transfer window.
The Gunners have been linked with a number of goalscorers. Bringing in a new forward is clearly on the agenda for Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu at some stage.
Ivan Toney is one such player said to be on the north London club’s shortlist, and it is easy to see why. The Brentford striker is powerful, athletic, technically gifted, and has proven that he can be prolific at Premier League level. Last season, the once-capped England man netted twenty times in the top flight.
However, the Bees won’t want to let Toney leave on the cheap. As quoted by Fabrizio Romano, Brentford director Lee Dykes recently stated that any side interested in securing Toney’s services “will have to pay a decent transfer fee.” It has previously been mooted that they could demand £100 million in exchange for the 27-year-old.
If Arsenal were to pay anything close to that figure for Toney then he clearly would not be coming to the Emirates Stadium to warm a seat on the bench. Current first choice striker Jesus would see his game time become far more restricted.
Andy Townsend provides Gabriel Jesus warning
Andy Townsend, speaking on talkSPORT (20/12/2023, 08:35), has now had his say on this issue: “that’s a big call [to sign Toney]. I do like him. I do think he’s a talented player. But is he the one who absolutely comes in and makes the difference?”
“If Arteta does go and buy a striker, one that can go in, then he isn’t going to be happy, is he, Jesus?”
It would certainly be a big ask for Toney to arrive at Arsenal this winter and hit the ground running as he is yet to kick a ball this season as he continues to serve a ban for breaching betting rules. He is due to return to action in January.
Given the Gunners are in the midst of a title race, targeting a player who can be relied upon to make an immediate impact this season would arguably be the wisest course of action.
Jesus, of course, would probably prefer that Arsenal don’t sign a striker at all this winter. He is certainly very capable of leading the line for the Gunners. However, his lack of goals could prove an issue as the campaign wears on and the title race heats up. He needs to prove that he can find the back of the net consistently enough to fire the club to glory.
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