Arsenal could well bring in an "amazing" £100 million player, thinks club legend and Match of the Day pundit Ian Wright.
Who are Arsenal looking to sign in January?
Life for the north Londoners could barely be any sweeter on the pitch, having won six out of a possible eight Premier League games while remaining unbeaten. They've tasted victory at the expense of Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Everton, Man United, Bournemouth and league champions Man City most recently.
Draws against Fulham and Tottenham only slightly dampen the near-perfect domestic record. It's quite safe to assume that Arsenal, based off what we've seen so far, will be contending for the league title once again this season. However, reports have suggested that they wish to strengthen in key areas this season, namely the centre-forward position. One of the players who is repeatedly mentioned is Brentford star Ivan Toney, who is currently serving a ban for alleged gambling breaches. They're also after Wolves winger Pedro Neto, with former Gunners striker Kevin Campbell telling Curtis Shaw TV that the club need to sign both.
"Two players that we know can come in and hit the ground running are Toney and Neto. £60 million. You take Toney all day long. £80 million. If someone says pay that and you win the title, then you pay it, don’t you," said Campbell.
“You get Neto as well. You solve the problem of the [Bukayo] Saka dilemma. And [Gabriel] Martinelli because Neto can play on that side as well. But Toney is the key. He offers that big and strong striker, who can cause Man City problems. We have seen him cause Liverpool problems.”
Ivan Toney transfer news
Toney, who scored 20 league goals for Brentford last season, prior to his ban, has been praised by Bees boss Thomas Frank and Toney's transfer value is £100 million, according to recent reports. Indeed, Toney's manager rates him very highly, having called him an "amazing" and "remarkable" player.
"Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” said Frank to Brentford's official website.
"The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."
Aerial duels
Offside awareness
Direct free-kicks
Passing
Through balls
Finishing
It's clear to see why Arteta and Edu have taken a keen interest in his signing, as widely reported by the latest Toney to Arsenal transfer news. Now, Gunners fan favourite Wright has suggested to the Stick to Football podcast that it's a deal which could well happen. He said:
"The Toney links don’t go away because you can see that’s probably the last bit in the jigsaw. It’s obvious for everyone to see that this is the last piece. He will do it if it can be done.”