Arsenal’s ‘No.1 target’ revealed but face THREE rivals
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 29 Sept 2023 16:08 BST
- 4 min read
Arsenal have made Brentford striker Ivan Toney their top target for the January transfer window, according to a report.
Toney is a player who has long been associated with Mikel Arteta’s side, who are in the market to find another forward to support Gabriel Jesus, despite the promising form of Eddie Nketiah in the early part of the 2023/24 campaign.
According to a report in The Mirror., the Gunners have earmarked the Brentford star as their January priority.
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However, it is stated that Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United are following the progress of the 27-year-old Toney, who has a contract with the Bees that runs until 2025.
According to the report, Arteta is hoping that Arsenal’s track record of improvement and their ambition to continue that trend of progress makes the difference in the race to sign the once-capped England forward, who is presently serving a ban due to breaches of gambling legislation.
Brentford are said to want €69 million (£60m) for the player.
FootballTransfers exclusively revealed that the Bees are bracing themselves for a sale by lining up Leicester forward Patson Daka as a replacement.
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Price an issue for Arsenal
Our understanding of Arsenal’s position on Toney is that they are indeed interested in the player, but that any deal will depend on the price of the forward.
The Gunners cannot afford to splash out on the player if Brentford demand a sum significantly higher than the one quoted by The Mirror.
Tottenham’s interest in the player was exclusively revealed by FootballTransfers along with that of Chelsea. Meanwhile, Newcastle could also come into contention to land the player.
Toney’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €31m, dropping in part because he has not played competitively since May due to his suspension.
In reality, he will likely move for more than that figure given the demand from several big clubs in him, with the prospect of a bidding war very real.
