‘Monumental’ £100m price tag now slapped on Arsenal January target

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A new report has revealed the price tag that Brentford have put on Arsenal target Ivan Toney.

According to The Mirror, Arsenal are keen to secure the services of Ivan Toney in the upcoming January transfer window. 

The striker was never going to come to the Emirates Stadium cheaply. However, Sky Sports have now reported that the Bees are set to demand £100 million for the once-capped England man, and that it will take a “monumental” effort to convince them to part with the 27-year-old.

The report also states that the previously mooted £60 million fee that it was thought would be enough to prise Toney away from the club has been given short shrift by the Brentford board. They are clearly determined to retain the player’s services.

Arsenal must turn their back on Ivan Toney

Arsenal have previously backed Mikel Arteta to chase his priority transfer targets. The Gunners have shown a willingness to spend big in pursuit of their ultimate aim of winning major honours again. They recently parted with a club-record £105 million to sign Declan Rice.

However, the north London club will surely baulk at Brentford’s latest demands regarding Toney. There is no doubting that he is a fine player, and has proven that he can be prolific in the Premier League before, but he is not worth that much.

Another major factor in all this is that Toney is currently serving a long-term ban for breaching betting regulations. He won’t be allowed to return to Premier League action until January, at which time Arsenal will be asked to stump up £100 million for a player certain to be well short of match fitness and sharpness.

It has been suggested that Toney is the player Arsenal need. For a fair price, that would be the case, but Arsenal can’t afford to pay so far over the odds for a player who likely won’t even be able to hit the ground running on arrival at the Emirates Stadium.