Soccer

Arsenal to beat Chelsea to first January signing as Toney ‘really excited’

Brentford slap £100m price tag on Ivan Toney

Arsenal is reportedly Ivan Toney’s preferred destination in either January or the summer amid growing interest from multiple top European clubs, including Chelsea. Toney has been heavily linked with a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium in the New Year, with some reports suggesting he could cost up to £100million. 

Chelsea and Arsenal are both in dire need of an out-and-out goalscorer to help boost their attacking numbers. Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus have only managed to find the back of the net 7 times between them from a combined 26 Premier League appearances while £32m signing Nicolas Jackson has got off to a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge.

Toney, meanwhile, scored 20 times in England’s top flight last season but hasn’t played a single game during the 2023/2024 campaign after being hit with an eight-month betting ban in May. He is set to return to action in the middle of January and will have a point to prove when he takes to the pitch next month.

But who will he return with? According to Fabrizio Romano, it could be Arsenal with the Englishman said to be “very excited” about the interest being shown in him by the north Londoners.

Speaking to his Kick Channel, Romano delivered an update on the Toney transfer saga. “From what I’m hearing, this is one more detail on Ivan Toney,” he said. “This is a rumour I’m hearing that his preference in terms of a top club move in January or the summer would be to go to Arsenal.

“From what I’m hearing Ivan Toney could be really excited by the possibility of joining Arsenal.” However, there are conflicting reports from the Sun, who claim Toney feels indebted to Brentford for sticking by him.

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Therefore a move to the Emirates in the summer may be more likely than January. A source told the British tabloid: “A lot of people assume Ivan will be on his way after Christmas, but no deal has been done – and nothing has been decided.

“Ivan is torn over his future. Brentford have stood by him and the club have been brilliant. Part of him wants to help them by hitting the ground running straight away in January and scoring the goals which will ensure they stay in the Premier League.

“There are a lot of clubs interested in Ivan but his focus, for now, is getting back on the pitch at Brentford and doing the business for his manager Thomas Frank, to whom he feels he has a big debt to repay. The same goes for the fans.

“He’s determined to get back in the England squad and Ivan fully believes in himself to make the first squad once he’s back playing football.” The report goes on to add that Brentford don’t feel under any pressure to sell their star striker.

Arsenal’s new kit for 2023/2024 is a stylish twist on a classic as it reinvents that mid-1990s vibe. A truly modern-looking shirt with a homage to the past, the Nike kit also includes a nod to the club’s iconic Invincible’s side in the finer details while catching the eye with the lightning bolt motif

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