Arsenal are greatly admired all over the world, and Ivan Toney is now the latest player to admit their admiration for the Gunners.
The Brentford striker, who is currently serving a lengthy ban for betting breaches, opened up about which clubs he likes, following months of transfer speculation over his future.
The 27-year-old admitted on The Diary of a CEO Podcast that whilst he was a lifelong fan of Liverpool, he greatly enjoyed watching Arsenal whilst he was growing up.
“The next club I’ll go to, if I was to move, it would be like, the right club,” he stated.
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“I’ve been a Liverpool fan my whole life, but from young, I’ve liked Arsenal. I’ve liked watching Arsenal from how they play, and how passionate the fans are.”
Should Arsenal sign Toney?
Toney’s ban ends in January, at which point there may be a number of clubs in the queue to sign him. Whilst he was exceptional last season, scoring 20 times in the Premier League, he will have not trained or played for over half a year by the time he returns to action.
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This will mean the transfer comes with a risk, and given that Arsenal already have strong options upfront, spending an expected fee of around £50m for Toney is arguably an unnecessary move.
Mikel Arteta has Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard as central attacking options, and whilst Toney could add a physical presence to this roster, he does not raise the level of quality in the starting XI.
If Arsenal were to spend big on a striker, it would have to be someone who can score at a consistent rate for a top side, or offer more than Jesus does in build-up play. Whilst Toney may offer more in the air than Jesus, the Brazilian’s ability on the ball is far superior, and it seems unlikely that Toney will be happy as a rotational option.
It is no surprise that Toney admires Arsenal. Strikers around his age grew up watching Arsenal teams under Arsene Wenger play an attacking brand of football whilst regularly qualifying for the Champions League, and Thierry Henry’s influence as a forward at the club cannot be understated.
There is now a whole generation of top-class attackers who enjoyed watching Arsenal in their younger days, and this will always help Mikel Arteta attract players in the transfer market.