Arsenal have been heavily linked with Brentford striker Ivan Toney, but whilst a January deal looks highly unlikely, he could still arrive in the summer.
However, there are many question marks over whether a huge money deal for the 27-year-old would help raise the level of Arsenal’s attack.
Toney has just returned to action after missing the first half of the season with a ban, and has recently expressed his desire to move to a bigger club, in an interview which has not gone down well with a lot of supporters.
Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has been criticised for a lack of goals, but whilst some have claimed that Toney could be the answer for Mikel Arteta upfront, former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce is not convinced.
Sam Allardyce questions Arsenal interest in Ivan Toney
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, Allardyce was asked whether a January deal for Toney would make Arsenal title favourites, and he was quick to shoot down any suggestions of him being a level raiser.
“No,” he replied.
“They’ve got to change their whole style and the way they play, to suit him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the same effect he has at Brentford.
Sam Allardyce is correct about Ivan Toney and Arsenal
Arsenal found out the hard way how different tactical styles may not suit some players, as record signing Nicolas Pepe, who was outstanding in a counter-attacking side at Lille, struggled.
We recently highlighted how Folarin Balogun, who Arsenal sold to Monaco in the summer, was struggling in a possession-based side after thriving on the counter for Reims last season.
Toney would likely face similar issues at Arsenal. Toney thrives by attacking space at Brentford, but at Arsenal he would come up against deep blocks, and play much higher up the pitch.
There will be little space for him to run into, and less time on the ball to get his shot away, and the style of play imposed by Mikel Arteta is so vastly different from Thomas Frank’s that at best, he would need a long adaptation period.
Paul Merson recently highlighted how David Raya’s initial struggles at Arsenal, should serve as a warning sign to Arteta that Toney may not replicate his best form if he was to move to the Emirates, and a manager with Allardyce’s experience in the Premier League has now echoed this warning.
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