Arsenal 'well positioned' to beat Man Utd in Toney bidding war

Tom Weber

• Updated: 13 Feb 2024 13:59 GMT
• 3 min read

Arsenal are in pole position to secure Ivan Toney's services, according to a report.

The transfer saga will enter its next and final stage in the summer. Already heavily linked with a departure from Brentford in January, Toney, who recently returned from his gambling ban, is expected to finally leave the Bees in the upcoming transfer window.

The 27-year-old openly flirted with a move in the winter, repeatedly declaring his desire to join a 'top club,' while the speculation was also fuelled by head coach Thomas Frank frankly admitting that the star striker is unlikely to remain with his club for much longer.

However, a Brentford side at risk of getting sucked into the relegation zone made sure to price out any potential suitors by slapping a price tag in excess of €100 million on Toney's head in order to keep him. It will be a different story in the summer, though, and Toney will become much more attainable for the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd due to his contract expiring in 2025.

Arsenal 'well positioned'

FootballTransfers exclusively revealed in January that Toney was keen to join the Gunners in the previous window, but, as mentioned, Brentford's demands were simply deemed excessive. Nevertheless, Arsenal are still in pole position to snap up the 27-year-old.

That's at least according to transfer specialist Rudy Galetti. He asserts that Arsenal are "well positioned to be able to make a tempting offer to both the Bees and the striker." Brentford, meanwhile, are keen for a bidding war to break out to extract maximum value.

Intriguingly, Galetti quite confidently asserts that Eddie Nketiah will be sold in the summer. This echoes FootballTransfers' exclusive reporting from December that the former Chelsea academy graduate will have to be sacrificed to fund a move for a top-level centre-forward.