After missing out on Benjamin Sesko, Arsenal have now learned what they will have to pay to land one of their other striker targets.
Arsenal are keen to bolster their strikeforce in the summer transfer window.
The Gunners were keen to secure the services of Benjamin Sesko. However, since the Slovenian has opted to remain at RB Leipzig, Mikel Arteta will now need to pivot to alternative targets.
There are a number of strikers he may consider bringing to the Emirates Stadium this summer. Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Victor Osimhen, whilst Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke profiles as being similar to Sesko.
Meanwhile, Ivan Toney has been repeatedly linked with a switch to Arsenal for some time. The Brentford target man has proven that he can shine in the Premier League before, and would be an exciting addition to Arteta’s squad.
Arsenal learn Ivan Toney price tag
Arsenal have now been made aware of the price tag that the Bees have put on the England star. It is safe to say that his valuation seems to have come down considerably in recent months, as at one point it was suggested that it would take £100 million to secure Toney’s services.
Now, according to transfer expert Graeme Bailey, as reported by HITC, Brentford now value the forward at £60 million. This can perhaps be most easily explained by the relatively indifferent form that the 28-year-old has produced since returning to action following his lengthy ban.
After coming back into the Brentford team in January, Toney struck four times in his first five games. However, he then failed to find the back of the net again for the rest the campaign, ending the season with 4 strikes from 17 Premier League outings.
Despite this indifferent return, Toney has still been included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s Euros tournament. If he is given the opportunity to play in Germany, he will be desperate to produce his best.
Is Toney the right striker for Arsenal?
There are reasons to believe that Toney could shine for the Gunners. He would be an ideal fit for the style of play that Arteta has developed with Kai Havertz leading the line. Like the German, Toney can operate as a target man, and is also comfortable involving himself in the build up play. Toney has also been described as “perfect” for Arsenal in the past
Sesko was clearly being considered with this tactical approach in mind. In that sense, there is logic to the notion that Arsenal might focus their attention on Toney. However his recent form cannot be ignored, and it is likely that better options exist on the market.