Will sin-binned Ivan Toney move to Arsenal? Other clubs are also interested in the English striker, but the Gunners have several factors at play

A controversial personality, but also an excellent footballer. That is how Brentford striker Ivan Toney, 27, can be described, coming from Northampton, where he also started his football career. Where will his next steps lead?

The English winger was banned from football for eight months at the end of last season. But he will be able to play again in January. So the question is, will it be at Brentford or somewhere else?

Toney had a great last season in Brentford colours, scoring twenty goals. That is an excellent number for a club in the middle of the table. However, all season there was speculation about his gambling case. And it was expected that he would not miss the punishment. It finally came at the end of the season and it was quite harsh for the English striker.

An eight-month ban

The rising star had to accept an eight-month ban, so his punishment expires on January 16, 2024. In addition, Toney could not train with the Brentford team at all until September 17 and could only prepare himself. The question remains as to what condition he will return in. We dare say, according to speculation in the English media, that if it wasn’t for the aforementioned ban, Toney would not be at the club after the summer transfer window. Other London clubs, namely Arsenal and Chelsea, are most interested in the English striker.

Arsenal have had Toney in their sights for a long time. They showed a slight interest in him back in 2021, after Brentford were promoted to the Premier League. Much of the credit for the promotion went to the English striker. He scored a whopping 31 goals in the Championship in the 2020/21 season, and there was speculation that a bigger commitment awaited him immediately after promotion.

But Toney remained loyal to Brentford at the time and I think the move paid off. The club has had no major problems adapting to the Premier League, has played very good football since promotion and is not far from securing the European Cup places. The 27-year-old finished third in the Premier League scorers table last season. Only Harry Kane (now a Bayern Munich player) and of course Erling Haaland were better than him.

Toney scored twenty goals and set up another four for his teammates, so he was clearly Brentford’s most productive player. It was he who had a lot to do with his employer finishing in ninth place and only two points away from the European Cup.

Toney to Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta is also keen on a striker option at his club other than Gabriel Jesus. Arsenal don’t have a typical striker in the penalty area, which could come in handy in games where they don’t do so well combinatively. That’s why they are talking loudly about reaching for Toney in the January transfer window.

The English striker is more of a classic number nine. But he has no problems with the ball and his extra centimetres can come in handy. Especially impressive is the statistics of aerial duels won, where Toney finished last season at 3.32 per game. Among strikers, he was the best ever in the entire Premier League.

Arsenal are very interested in him. Maybe because Arsenal are the ones who have kept the concept working since Arteta’s arrival. And when a player is too expensive for their standards, they “just don’t go for it and look for other options”. In Toney’s case, the fact that, according to British tabloid The Sun, he himself would be very interested in a move to north London could play into his hands.

The transfer window is closing in the British Isles. If Arsenal were to try and sign Toney, no one would be surprised. This is even though the priority for Arteta is to come into the defensive ranks, where Arsenal do not have the necessary replacements with the injuries to Tomiyasu and Timber.

If there is a favourable opportunity for them to get Toney into their ranks, I think it’s clear that Arsenal will try to make it happen. Moreover, the Gunners could be helped in this case by a very superior relationship with Brentford, which has already shown itself in the arrival of goalkeeper David Raya.

Source: BBC, Wikipedia, The Sun, Transfermarkt