Arsenal Transfers: Brentford demanding £60m for Gunners #1 transfer target

Arsenal already have their eyes on the January transfer window and are hoping to secure a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, but the Bees want a big fee for his sale.

The Gunners have made a fine start to the 2023/24 season, amassing 20 points through eight games for the second campaign running. They amassed 21 last term, and their 1-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday ensured they hit the 20-point mark again.

However, Tottenham’s equally bright start means they sit just above Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

Mikel Arteta, though, is not resting on his laurels. If the Gunners are to end City’s dominant run over the English top flight, additions in January might be necessary. But, a move for Toney will be tricky to pull off.

Brentford demanding £60m for Gunners #1 transfer target

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The England international scored an impressive 20 Premier League goals last season, but a betting suspension means he’s yet to feature in 2023/24 and won’t be eligible to play until next January.

That deterred clubs from making a move in the summer, but Arsenal are set to pursue Toney in the January transfer window as they seek to add another goalscorer to their ranks. While the Gunners have had a bit of a scoring issue at the start of the season, that issue stems from a lack of creativity as opposed to inefficiency in front of goal.

Nevertheless, Toney would be a welcome addition to Arteta’s frontline given his dominant target man profile. And while The Mirror understands the striker would be keen on a move to the Emirates, Brentford want £60m for his sale next year. That valuation might be an issue as Arsenal will likely need to make a big sale in order to facilitate the move to appease the Financial Fair Play enforcers.

Any move for Toney would surely rule out a deal for Wolves winger Pedro Neto, who has started the 2023/24 season in red-hot form. Given Bukayo Saka’s vulnerability and the lack of depth behind him, some might argue that a signing of Neto’s profile would be of a greater need midway through the season as opposed to Toney.