A four-game winless run in all competitions has plunged title hopefuls Arsenal into something of a mini-crisis in recent weeks, with Mikel Arteta’s side slipping out of contention at the top of the table despite having led the way on Christmas Day.
One notable factor in this recent surprise blip has been the Gunners’ woes in front of goal, with the most recent defeat to rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup seeing them miss five ‘big chances’ – as per Sofascore – before being made to pay for that profligacy late on.
While there is deserved scrutiny on the likes of Gabriel Martinelli – who has just two Premier League goals this season – as well as Bukayo Saka on the opposite flank, with the Englishman scoring only once in his last six top-flight outings, the major talking point has been the woes through the middle.
In Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah – who have netted only eight league goals between them in 2023/24 – the north Londoners simply do not have a reliable number nine, hence the desire to sign a suitable upgrade either this month or in the summer.
Arsenal’s hunt for a striker
With just under two weeks left in the January window, it remains to be seen if a new addition will be brought into the Emirates to help revive the club’s title charge, with any top target likely to come at a premium this month.
That is the case for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, for instance, who is reportedly set to command a fee of around £120m, while Brentford’s returning talisman Ivan Toney is said to have a price tag of £100m – despite not kicking a ball competitively this term.
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The Gunners are seemingly in desperate need of a fresh face to lead the line.
In truth, it is the latter man who is the name on everybody’s lips at present, having scored 32 league goals across the last two seasons, with the 27-year-old seemingly of interest with just 18 months left to run on his existing deal.
Whether the Gunners are able to get their man before the close of the window, or whether they are forced to wait until the end of the season, the Englishman certainly seems like a perfect fit for Arteta’s side.
Ray Parlour thinks Toney is the “closest player” to Ian Wright
Arsenal have been blessed with a plethora of great strikers over the years, from Thierry Henry to Dennis Bergkamp to Robin van Persie, although Toney could perhaps follow in the footsteps of a certain Ian Wright.
That is the view of Gunners’ cult hero, Ray Parlour, at least, with the Romford Pele talking to Football FanCast on behalf of NetBet Betting regarding his former club’s interest in Toney.
|
Ivan Toney’s Premier League record vs the ‘Big Six’ |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Arsenal |
3 |
1 |
0 |
|
Chelsea |
5 |
0 |
1 |
|
Liverpool |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Manchester United |
5 |
1 |
2 |
|
Manchester City |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Spurs |
3 |
1 |
0 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Asked about whether there is a player from his era who Toney shares a likeness with, Parlour replied:
“Great question; He is not like him yet, but if Toney continues to score goals, then the closest player in my era would be Ian Wright.”
The three-time Premier League champion went on to add: “Wright just loved to score goals, was a fox in the fox a real goal poacher and Toney has a good scoring record and knows where the goal is.
“Toney doesn’t do too much outside the box, but inside, he is clinical, so Wright would be the closest.”
That is some billing indeed, although the hope would be that Toney can emulate the success of ‘Wrighty’ in an Arsenal shirt, with the latter man also something of a late bloomer, having joined the Gunners at the age of 28 in 1991, before going on to score 185 goals in 288 games in all competitions.
If a deal is to be completed for the Bees star, he certainly has a lot to live up to.