English Media: Arsenal Plans Last-Minute £50m Move for Ivan Toney, Already in Talks with His Agent

This summer transfer window has seen Arsenal strengthen their squad with the acquisitions of Kalarfiore and Merino, bolstering their defensive line and midfield. However, Arsenal is not content to stop there. According to English media outlet TeamTalk, Arsenal plans to make a last-minute move to sign England international Ivan Toney from Brentford. More importantly, Arsenal has already begun negotiations with Toney’s agent.

In the past two seasons, Arsenal has been one of the strongest contenders for the Premier League title but has fallen short each time. Public opinion generally believes that if Arsenal wants to compete for the championship, they need to strengthen three positions: left-back, midfield, and center-forward. This summer, Arsenal has indeed focused on reinforcing these areas. First, Arsenal spent big to sign Italian defender Kalarfiore from Bologna, who shone brightly at the European Championships and can play both as a left-back and a center-back. Following this, Arsenal signed versatile midfielder Merino from Real Sociedad, who helped Spain win the European Championship this summer.

As the transfer window approaches its end, rumors have emerged that Arsenal plans to sign a new forward, with Chelsea’s Sterling and Bayern Munich’s Coman being linked with the club. However, according to TeamTalk, Arsenal’s target is Ivan Toney, for whom they are willing to pay a transfer fee of £50 million and have already started talks with his agent. It’s worth noting that Toney’s contract with Brentford has only one year remaining, and Arsenal’s willingness to pay £50 million demonstrates significant sincerity.

In addition to Arsenal, Chelsea and the Saudi Arabian team Al-Ittihad Jeddah are also interested in signing Ivan Toney. For Toney, joining the Saudi league would mean stepping away from the top five European leagues. As for Chelsea, while they are interested in Toney, they are also closely monitoring Osimhen. In this context, it significantly increases the possibility of Toney joining Arsenal.

On August 31st, in the third round of the Premier League, Arsenal will host Brighton at home, while Brentford will face Southampton at home.