Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta by extension are "expected" to battle for a "unique" player who's already professed his admiration for the club.
Who have Arsenal signed 2023?
Edu and Gunners transfer chiefs sought to bring in a quartet of new arrivals over the 2023 summer transfer window' spending north of £200 million on the signings of club-record capture Declan Rice, defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya
It was a real statement of intent and show of ambition as Arsenal seek to challenge last season's treble-winners, Man City, for the Premier League title once again. The north London side came pretty close last term, but injuries to the likes of William Saliba resulted in a drop-off as City eventually ran away with the domestic crown.
Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga all made way to balance the books, with the aforementioned departing either temporarily or on a permanent basis.
While Arsenal have started the season with some promise, Arteta will be unhappy to have dropped points in two of their opening six matches already. 2-2 draws at home to both Fulham and arch rivals Tottenham mean Pep Guardiola's imperious City side currently sit four points above them in the table.
However, Arsenal do remain unbeaten; joining Spurs, Liverpool and Man City as the only top flight sides who are still yet to suffer a single defeat.
What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?
While the club significantly invested in bolstering their squad ahead of this season, Arsenal didn't manage to secure the services of a world class centre-forward. Havertz was instead brought in as a makeshift option but hasn't quite done enough to impress on-lookers thus far, having been subject to fierce criticism at times.
As a result, it is believed they're eyeing up a new striker for the winter window, and one player to be repeatedly linked is Brentford's Ivan Toney. The Englishman, who is currently serving a ban for gambling breaches, is on Arsenal's radar with a report from broadcast giant ESPN sharing the latest.
According to their information, Arsenal are "expected" to test Brentford's resolve in keeping Toney this January. Edu and co are believed to be real fans of the forward as they weigh up mid-season attacking options.
ESPN add that Toney could cost as much as £80 million, but the player has previously lifted the lid on his admiration for Arsenal."The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club," he said to the Diary of a CEO podcast last month. "I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life… But from young, I've liked Arsenal. I've liked watching Arsenal and how they play and how passionate their fans are."
Toney scored 20 league goals in 33 appearances last season, with Brentford boss Thomas Frank also calling him a "unique" and "amazing" player.
“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank said. “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."
