Arsenal have got their 2023/24 Premier League campaign off to a flying start, as the Gunners hope to improve on their narrow second-place finish last term.
By beating Manchester City last time out, Mikel Arteta’s side were able to accomplish a hurdle that prevented them from going all the way in 2022/23, leaving the north Londoners once again hopeful of securing their first league title since 2004.
Arsenal’s form last season inspired them to conduct a strong summer of new acquisitions, as Arteta and Edu spent over £200m in welcoming new faces to the squad to bolster the depth on show.
Aside from Jurrien Timber’s agonising anterior cruciate ligament injury on the opening day, the new arrivals have fitted in well to their surroundings at the Emirates, as the Gunners remain unbeaten in the league after eight games.
That being said, rumours have begun to surface with reference to the January transfer window as time ticks by, with one name mentioned as a player that Arsenal could be interested in poaching this winter.
Could Arsenal sign Ivan Toney?
As reported by the Mirror, Brentford striker Ivan Toney is believed to be keen on a potential move to north London, with his price tag said to have been set around £60m by the Bees.
It’s not the first time that news regarding links between the striker and Arteta’s side have surfaced, with the Mirror also reporting last month that the Gunners were ‘likely to be’ in the mix for a striker in the next window.
Matters were made more imaginable rather than just being a fantasy when Toney admitted his desire to one day play for Arsenal, telling the Diary of a CEO podcast that he “liked Arsenal” and “how they play” when asked about potential next clubs.
With the topic of strikers still a touchy one at the Emirates despite the development in other areas of the squad, January could be the perfect time for Arteta and Edu to pounce on the Englishman, when he returns from his ban.
What is Ivan Toney’s market value?
It’s understandable why Brentford would demand a fee as high as £60m for their talisman, despite his actual market value sitting far lower.
As documented by Football Transfers, the 27-year-old has an expected transfer value (xTV) of just €29.4m (£25.3m), with his value dipping as a result of him being away from action.
In May, Toney was handed an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules put in place by the FA, keeping him away from football until mid-January for committing 232 breaches.
Prior to his ban, the striker had an xTV of €36.5m (£31.5m), highlighting the cause for his dip in value as he remains away from competitive football after his high-scoring campaign of 2022/23.
Considering that Toney was directly involved in 24 of Brentford’s 58 goals scored last season, assisting four and scoring 20, letting their main asset for goals exit for a limited price would be poor business for the Bees, who signed him for £5m in 2020.
How many goals has Ivan Toney scored?
Signing the Northampton-born hero for just £5m proved to be a bargain for Brentford, with him being the catalyst for goals since his arrival and throughout his playing career.
In his first season at the Gtech Community Stadium, the forward almost single-handedly inspired Thomas Frank’s side to promotion to the Premier League thanks to his 41 goal contributions in the Championship in 2020/21.
That campaign, Toney scored 31 goals and assisted ten in 45 league appearances, showing that he could do it in the league above following on from his 30 goal contributions in League One the season prior with Peterborough.
Goals have been a consistent theme in the 27-year-old’s journey, with 165 domestic goals to his name in 401 appearances for a host of clubs, with his story starting at Northampton Town.
Scoring frequently from League Two to the Premier League, the clinical presence of Toney has seen every side he’s featured in benefit from his talents, with him hailed as “remarkable” by Frank last season.
For his goals, assists and overall gameplay, the Englishman is destined to be an in-demand figure when he returns to action, with Brentford said to be braced to receive bids by The Times back in August.
What could Ivan Toney add to Arsenal’s squad?
Most sides could benefit from securing Toney’s signature, but not many as much as Arsenal.
The difference that signing a prolific talisman could make to Arteta’s side could be the difference between them winning, and missing out on the title.
Lauded as “phenomenal” by journalist Adam Keys, the striker has a clear strength in scoring goals, something that can’t always be said about the north Londoners’ current options when it comes to leading the line.
Last season, Gabriel Jesus netted 11 goals in the Premier League, while Eddie Nketiah scored four, making Arsenal’s two leading strikers combine to contribute 15 goals for their side.
To put into perspective the ways in which Toney could elevate the squad at the Emirates, the Englishman alone scored 20 goals in the league last term, five more than Arteta’s forwards combined.
While Jesus offers a magnitude of experience and a skill set to benefit Arsenal in ways beyond putting the ball in the net, Nketiah’s claim to the starting XI is less strong.
As highlighted in the table below, Toney offers far more of a goal-poaching presence than the 24-year-old, who has only scored 34 goals in 142 appearances for the Gunners over his senior career as a striker.
Nketiah vs Toney – 2022/23 Premier League season
Eddie Nketiah
Ivan Toney
Shots on target per game
0.5
1.3
Goal conversion %
10%
21%
Big chances created
2
12
Aerial's won per game
0.3
3.3
All figures via Sofascore
When you consider the great sides in the Premier League, a reliable striker is present, with little explanation needed to mention the strength that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland added to Pep Guardiola’s treble winners, having bagged 36 league goals last term.
By no means is Toney, or anyone, currently comparable to Haaland, yet City made it abundantly clear how introducing an upgrade on their goalscorer can widen the area for success.
Arsenal received City’s second-choice forward in Jesus this summer, which alone highlights the difference in quality on show between the two sides that went head-to-head for the title last term.
As for Nketiah, there are still questions to be answered over his suitability to lead the line for a club as hungry for progression as Arsenal currently are, with the Englishman the obvious first point of rotation when revising the Gunners’ squad.
With Toney comes a potent figure in the final third, and a seasoned professional in the English game, getting him on board could be the missing piece to Arteta’s push for major silverware with his current crop of talent.
