Arsenal handed major update in Ivan Toney chase

Cameron Smith

• 19 Dec 2023 19:47 GMT
• 3 min read

Brentford technical director Lee Dykes has admitted there will be “lots of interest” in Ivan Toney during the January window, but stressed that any interested party would be required to “pay a decent transfer fee” for his services.

Toney, 27, is currently serving a footballing ban after admitting to over 200 betting breaches earlier this year, but he is back in training with Brentford and will be able to return to competitive action in mid-January.

As a result, transfer speculation regarding the English forward has continued to circulate in recent weeks, with Arsenal seemingly leading the race to land the former Peterborough star.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have previously expressed their desire to sign Toney, but they appear to have moved onto other targets, leaving Arsenal as his most likely destination.

Gabriel Jesus remains the first-choice number nine for Mikel Arteta’s side, but Toney has been identified as a key target, according to reports, as the Gunners look to bolster their attacking options.

Will Ivan Toney leave Brentford in January?

Brentford technical director Dykes spoke to the club’s website and was asked about the chance of Toney leaving the club in January. “I am so excited for Ivan to come back because I see him out there in training and he is some player; it looks like he’s never been away,” he said.

“There’s a real ambition from him and I can see in his eyes that he’s going to be better than he’s ever been; I really believe that will be the case.

“Yes, there will be lots of interest in Ivan in January. Naturally, there should be.

“He was the third-highest Premier League goalscorer last season - one of them [Harry Kane] has gone to Germany now, so he’s up there as one of the best strikers in the division. He is in the top five in the world, in my opinion.

“So there should be interest, and maybe the time comes very shortly that Ivan moves on to another club.

“But they will have to pay a decent transfer fee to acquire his services because he is some talent.”