Ivan Toney is ‘excited’ about the prospect of joining Arsenal, with the north London club the front-runner for the striker’s signature in the January window, according to reports.
The future of the Brentford star, who hasn’t seen competitive league action since May as he continues to serve an eight-month suspension for betting breaches, has been hotly contested since the summer transfer window.
Toney’s prolific Premier League form has caught the eye of a number of suitors, most notably the Gunners and London rivals Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side is in desperate need of attacking firepower and is thought to be prioritising recruitment in forward positions when they enter the market.
Tottenham too could field an interest in the player, with former Spurs legend Teddy Sheringham urging Ange Postecoglou to consider beating their north London rivals to the transfer.
But as per transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, they may have to find alternative options as Toney focuses his ambition elsewhere.
‘From what I’m hearing, this is one more detail on Ivan Toney,’ Romano shared on his Kick channel.
‘This is a rumor; I’m hearing that his preference in terms of a top club move in January or the summer would be to go to Arsenal.
‘From what I’m hearing, Ivan Toney could be really excited by the possibility of joining Arsenal.’
The 27-year-old previously appeared to hint at an Arsenal connection when he shared a post on Instagram celebrating Declan Rice’s late winner against Luton before deleting it amid a flurry of speculation.
Toney can return to competitive action on January 17, but has already taken part in a number of friendly fixtures, scoring twice in closed-door ties.
The Bees will be keen to cling on to their star striker after the loss of one of their lynchpin players due to injury.
Bryan Mbeumo has been sidelined for at least 12 weeks after picking up an ankle issue during a Premier League tie against Brighton, in a serious blow to Thomas Frank’s plans for the second half of the season.
Before his injury, Mbeumo had scored seven goals and assisted four more for the West London side.
In November, reports circulated that Toney, who could be worth over £100 million in the market, was ‘torn’ over his immediate future.
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