Arsenal fans give verdict on Champions League hopes
Arsenal would be getting another Ian Wright if they swooped to sign striker Ivan Toney from Brentford in January, according to club icon Ray Parlour. The north London side are weighing up a move in the winter transfer window for the England international, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League last season, as Mikel Arteta looks to bring in a regular goalscorer to close the gap on Manchester City.
The Gunners are tracking the 27-year-old ahead of a potential move in January, with Chelsea and Tottenham ready to rival them for the £60m-rated striker. Toney has hinted he is keen to move to a bigger club and, with 18 months left on his contract, Brentford won’t stand in his way if their asking price is met.
“I don’t let this all affect me. Obviously, it will go on in the background but my job is to keep training well when I get the chance. In the games, keep scoring and doing well but I think that everybody wants to play at the top of the tree.
“Not that Brentford aren’t there, but I feel like playing for a big club, fighting for trophies, these kind of things, everybody wants to do. If the chance was to come along, I think I would be silly not to look more into it.”
Toney has drawn comparisons to several top strikers such as Didier Drogba for the way the target man bullies defenders and uses his aerial prowess to his advantage, as well as his impressive finishing ability. But Arsenal legend Ray Parlour thinks he is more reminiscent of Ian Wright, who scored 185 goals for the club, and previously backed him to head to the Emirates Stadium.
“The problem you’re going to have in January is who’s available… I’ve always said Ivan Toney of Brentford,” he said in December 2022 in an interview with Sports Lens. “I’d go and try to get him if I could. I don’t think you’ll get him in this window but he’s who I’d go for. I think he’s similar to Ian Wright the way he plays and scores his goals.”
In reflecting on their summer business, Parlour doubled down on his recommendation of Toney. The 50-year-old elaborated on his strengths, suggesting that as an out-and-out central striker, he would give Arsenal something they are missing with Jesus and Nketiah.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Speaking to JBI International, he said: “I do think we need that extra striker. If Gabriel Jesus gets injured again, is Eddie going to be able to come in and do well enough in the Champions League?” he said. “I know that we could play with a false nine, but I would like that security of having an out-and-out striker.”
Arteta signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65m in June, but the German has been used predominantly in the attacking midfielder rather than as a No 9. And when the 23-year-old has filled the void up front in place of Jesus or Nketiah, Havertz has been wasteful in front of goal.
That leaves the Spaniard with the possibility of spending big on Toney or making do with what he has at his disposal, as it is extremely difficult to sign a top striker in January given Champions League commitments and the reluctance of big clubs to sell their prized assets.
And that could offer an opportunity for Toney to get his dream move, much to the delight of Parlour.
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
Source: Read Full Article