Arsenal can take golden opportunity to snatch £60m Premier League star from under Chelsea’s nose

I’ve seen enough episodes of American Pickers to know that the genuinely worthwhile investments - the assets that remain properly enticing and desirable - appreciate in value even as they sit among the rafters of rarely-opened barns, gathering dust and rust, just waiting to be salvaged.

In that regard, Ivan Toney is currently the vintage gas station sign (always a surefire banker in the approximations of Mike and Frank) of the Premier League - out of sight, out of action, but still very much in demand.

As you will no doubt be aware by now, the Brentford striker is in the midst of serving a lengthy ban from professional football after being found guilty of a number of gambling-related offences earlier in the year. As a consequence, he will not be permitted to return until the new year, but even in spite of his inactivity, the 27-year-old is still a wanted man.

According to a report from the Mirror, Toney is attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano pouring further fuel on the speculation by suggesting that the player is ‘100%’ likely to leave Brentford next year, whether it be in the January or summer window. For their part, the Bees are said to be demanding upwards of £60 million for their talisman, and are in no particular rush to sell partway through the season given the probable impact that Toney’s reemergence would have on their own prospects and aspirations in the latter half of the campaign.

Given, however, that it seems to be a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ the forward will leave his current club, it is worth asking the question as to where his best next (not to be confused with next best) destination might be. Indeed, he does not appear short of viable options.

Let’s start with Chelsea, Todd Boehly’s prolonged piece of performance art skewering the horrors of late stage capitalism that he is considering sub-titling ‘The American Nightmare’. Edgy. At the time of writing, two things can be said of the Blues with absolute certainty; they need a striker, and they need to start winning matches. Would solving Problem A alleviate Problem B? Well, very probably, but as a general rule of thumb, it is best to steer clear of vicious circles.

Which brings us to Tottenham, a club who have broken the habit of a lifetime by suddenly being quite good. Ange Postecoglou has brought about the kind of epiphanic love-in in north London usually reserved for self-proclaimed faith healers wearing homemade bedsheet togas, and where optimism has spiked, results have followed accordingly.

What’s more, on the face of it, Spurs do need another striker. Harry Kane, of course, now plies his trade in Germany, and his absence has left a vacuum that Son Heung-min and Richarlison combined may or may not be able to adequately plug. At the very least, reinforcements would be nice.

But then there is Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side appear to be intent on proving that last year’s tilt at the title was no fluke, and have started the new campaign in a manner which would suggest that they have the requisite beans to be there or thereabouts again this term.

By no means is the Gunners’ a finished project, however, and one area that is frequently addressed in discussions pertaining to their progression is the point of attack. Gabriel Jesus, when fit, is the main man, and Eddie Nketiah is a willing and capable deputy, but there is a lingering suspicion that a proper 20-goal-a-season hitman wouldn’t go amiss. Last term Toney scored exactly that many in 33 Premier League outings, and you fancy that playing in a side as creatively-gifted as Arsenal’s he could repeat that feat on the regular.

And really, capturing Toney from beneath the noses of two of their fiercest rivals, while beneficial in a footballing sense, would also be a major statement of intent. Arsenal find themselves at an intriguing, precarious juncture. The English game writ large seems to have accepted that the Gunners are serious and sustained title contenders - perhaps even one half of a new school duopoly alongside Manchester City. But at the moment, the evidence for that general consensus is based on a singular campaign at the top.

If Arteta is to properly position his team as the truest challengers to City’s dominance, then he needs to ensure that they keep moving forward, and that they keep growing and evolving. We saw it this summer with the ruthlessness that brought about deals for the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, and a swoop for Toney would be of a similar ilk - one that strengthens Arsenal while also gazumping some of those who conspire against them.

At the end of the day, whoever wins the auction for Toney is going to be nabbing themselves a top, top talent. Why shouldn’t Arsenal try and be the ones to do so?

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