Fabrizio Romano now gives update on Arsenal potentially signing £100m player

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Arsenal are among the clubs linked with a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, but nothing has been decided yet with regard to the striker situation.

Recent reports have indicated that Arsenal will push for a move for the 27-year-old as early as the January transfer window, during which his ban from football will end and he will be able to return to action.

It seems almost inevitable that he will leave Brentford, but Fabrizio Romano has now claimed that Arsenal have not yet decided whether they will pursue him in January.

In his Daily Briefing, Romano indicated that whilst there is interest from Arsenal, nothing concrete has taken place yet with regard to a move.

“I can guarantee that both Arsenal and Chelsea have shown this interest. Still, it’s important to clarify that Arsenal have not decided yet how they want to act in January in terms of strikers,” he stated.

“Of course, nothing will happen with Toney now, nothing will happen next week, it will take time to see the price tag and all the conditions of the deal, so fans need to be patient, because many things can happen on this story, but it is one to watch because the idea of the player is to try a new chapter in 2024.”

Should Arsenal move for Ivan Toney?

A January move for Toney makes little sense for Arsenal.

The striker is valued at around £100m by Brentford, and with Chelsea also interested, a high fee will be needed to land the forward.

Although he scored 20 league goals last season, six of these came from the penalty spot, meaning that in terms of open-play goals, he was actually outscored by midfielder Martin Odegaard.

Toney is renowned for his ability in the air, but summer signing Kai Havertz ranks above him in this regard. Last season, Toney won 48% of his aerial duels, compared to Havertz’s 56%.

Arsenal are well stocked upfront with Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Havertz and Leandro Trossard. Whilst Toney is a top-quality player, he is perhaps not a level-raiser ahead of these current options.

Given his age and price, a deal for Toney is not a priority or worth pursuing at this stage, and if he were to arrive, it would likely mean that one of the current options would have to depart. With this in mind, Arsenal may be better off waiting until either his price drops or a better-quality attacker becomes available.