30 December 2023 , 16:27
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Mikel Arteta is ready to abandon plans to bring in defensive reinforcements in January and instead press ahead with a move for Ivan Toney.
Arsenal head into the final round of fixtures in 2023 sat just two points behind Liverpool at the Premier League summit after coming agonisingly close to winning the title last year. And the Gunners are planning to strengthen in the winter transfer window in a bid to give them every chance of going one better this season.
Mirror Football revealed back in September that Toney, 27, had emerged as Arsenal's primary target, although Arteta has been toying with bolstering other areas of his squad. But the Spaniard has now made up his mind and will try and prise Toney away from Brentford in the coming weeks.
According to a new report from The Independent, Arsenal's recent struggles in front of goal have convinced Arteta that signing Toney in January is the necessary move. As things stand, Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah are Arsenal's joint-top scorers in the league on five goals.
There had also been consideration to bringing in two new full-backs or a new midfielder, but Arsenal will now attempt to strike a deal with Brentford for their star striker, who will available for selection again in mid-January after serving an eight month ban for breaching betting rules.
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While Arsenal would like to do a deal for Toney this month, there are obstacles which could prevent an agreement from being reached. For one, Brentford will be loath to lose their talisman given they have slipped towards the relegation zone following a worrying run of results.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will try and prise Ivan Toney away from Brentford in January (Offside via Getty Images)And the Gunners have little room for manoeuvre in terms of Financial Fair Play after spending a significant amount of capital to reshape their squad in the summer, including a club-record £105million deal for England midfielder Declan Rice.
It's estimated that any deal for Toney could eclipse £80m in total, even though the striker has just 18 months left to run on his current contract with Brentford.
Arsenal may seek to raise additional funds through player sales in order to facilitate such demands. Nketiah is one player who is already attracting interest from Crystal Palace, although Arteta remains a big fan of the Hale End graduate.