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Jamie Carragher has urged Mikel Arteta to ‘take a chance’ on signing Ivan Toney to Arsenal in the January transfer window. The Gunners have long wanted to land Toney, who remains suspended until the New Year but has been training with his Brentford teammates since August.
Toney established himself as one of the Premier League’s best strikers before his suspension and could be a smart signing for Arsenal, who were widely tipped to make a move based on their reported interest in January. Carragher believes that while Toney is not guaranteed to make a good start at the Emirates Stadium, he can give Arsenal the best chance of overtaking Manchester City at the top of the table.
“He’s a different type of striker, I’m a big fan of him,” Carragher said while discussing Toney’s future. Monday night football. “Can he handle the criticism if he goes a few games without a goal? There’s no doubt the quality is there, but to take Arsenal to the title…
“I think Arsenal might have to take that opportunity, to be completely honest. If they don’t get that position and the goalkeeping situation right, it will be very difficult for them to take on Manchester City.”
Arsenal have been without star striker Gabriel Jesus for the majority of the season so far, with the Brazilian forward struggling to battle injuries since the start of the season. The Gunners have scored five fewer goals than City in their opening 11 games and will look to step things up when things get tougher over the festive period and beyond.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will pursue a move for Toney in January, with Brentford unlikely to consider selling him unless they can secure a premium fee. The Bees are only willing to do business mid-season in exchange for a nine-figure fee, according to Sky Sports, meaning Arsenal will have to spend a lot of money to sign him.
Toney remains tied to Brentford until the summer of 2025 and has been a crucial player for them since they were promoted to the Premier League two years ago. He has already confirmed that he would entertain the idea of joining Arsenal if he were to leave Brentford. Earlier this year he told the Diary Of A CEO Podcast that he has always admired their playing style, despite supporting Liverpool as a boy.
“If I were to move, the next club I go to would be the right club,” he explained. “I’ve been a Liverpool fan all my life, but I’ve loved Arsenal since I was young. I watch Arsenal, how they play and how passionate the fans are.”
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