Saka call, Trossard role, £30m bid approved- Dream Arsenal attack after Ivan Toney transfer bombshell – More on Nketiah swap deal
Mikel Arteta should be keeping one eye on West London in the remaining days of the transfer window, as Brentford may be the site of the next transfer coup to take Arsenal up a level.
The Premier League’s return this weekend has brought with it twists and turns supporters had been craving throughout its three-month absence. The latest, Ivan Toney’s shock exclusion from his side’s first matchday squad of the season, has caused shockwaves as his departure is now well on the cards.
“There’s a lot of things going on with Ivan, there’s some transfer interest. Because of all that, we decided not to involve him in the squad,” manager Thomas Frank confirmed prior to kick-off. “It’s the classic one – I couldn’t give too much the day before. He’s been a fantastic player for us, but we showed last year especially that we can deal without him.
When asked if we have seen the last of Toney in the club’s red-and-white stripes, he added: “Who knows? There’s interest, but there’s nothing close.”
Whilst a switch to the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ahli is currently most hotly rumoured, the striker’s transfer is arguably long in the making and throughout that two or so years the Emirates Stadium has been touted as a possible destination.
Granted, Arteta possesses a fine attack force as is – something that was once a youthful blend and whilst still yet to hit their so-called ‘peak’ years in the sport, each now own a great deal of Premier League experience to call upon. Their threat grows year upon year, scoring 91 league goals last year compared to 88 the one before, yet the ruthless fact still remains – they have come up short twice now in efforts to topple Manchester City’s empire.
12 days out from the current window’s closure and the Gunners’ only activity to date is the £27m arrival of David Raya – a move lined up last summer – and defender Riccardo Calafiori’s £42m signing from Bologna. No attacker has come through the entrance door, so with that said football.london has taken a look at the version of history where Toney becomes the club’s next landmark signing and Arteta is able to unleash his dream attack on their rivals…
Left-wingers
There is little to be done on the left side of attack, before the window shuts or even for the foreseeable future.
The manager currently holds two excellent options here in Gabriel Martinelli, 23, and Leandro Trossard, 29, as they possess different strong traits to utilise against various opponents. The former looks to be handed the starting role based on Saturday’s Premier League opener against Wolves, though a rethink would be required if he is unable to rediscover his goalscoring verve of two seasons ago.
As for the latter, Trossard was often the man to turn to when his teammates selected ahead of him failed to come up with the answers. Hopefully long may this continue, but the sign of a top club is to fix problems before they arise. At almost 30 years of age, the establishment of a succession plan needs to be creeping into Edu’s mind well in advance of a potential drop-off for the Belgian.
Right-wingers
On the far side, Bukayo Saka has locked down the starting place and barring any major shocks over the decade or so to come can etch himself into the club’s rich tapestry as a local legend.
Positionally, Reiss Nelson then sits as the most natural man to call upon in Arteta’s ranks. He was a part of Saturday’s squad, but his future in North London has been called into question over the summer months with links to other Premier League clubs. Wage demands have so far proven the stumbling block in any deal’s advancement.
His exit – forced or not – would provide added funds and incentive to secure an additional option for the right flank, whether that be in same ilk as Trossard 18 months ago – a proven top-flight option – or a talent even younger than Saka already is with the capability to learn, grow and rival the Englishman. Because of what is to come next, this doesn’t need to be the club’s most pressing issue.
Strikers
Now, here is the crucial area to solve heading into the 2024/25 campaign. Arteta presently has three options here, but a flurry of activity to ensure Toney’s arrival can transform what was already there, shake up the established order and add the threat of new competition into the mix, much like Trossard did when first signed.
Kai Havertz has grown into the natural first-choice to take up the central role of the front three, and his goal on opening day only strengthens his claim. When signed from Manchester City two years ago, who’d have thought Gabriel Jesus would have found himself second choice? The Brazilian just hasn’t been able to get past incessant injury problems, but this plan can help manage his minutes and make sure Arteta gets the most out of his £45m man.
The coming days look like they will be pivotal in Toney’s saga. Even if he doesn’t end up in Saudi Arabia, Brentford’s hand may be forced – and with one year left on his contract they could even lower the price tag below the £60m they had set out for their No.17. Toney’s arrival could be at Eddie Nketiah’s expense, and the Gunners can amicably part ways with their academy graduate as he goes on in search of regular minutes with one of his suitors. With Arsenal reportedly wanting £30m for Nketiah, his departure could go a long way towards securing the signature of Toney, with Marseille and Bournemouth both bidding for the striker in recent weeks before pulling out of the deals.
Toney will view himself as good enough to start, and if Arteta is able to help him rediscover the form he held before his ban from football that meant he missed a large chunk of the 2023/24 campaign then there is no reason to argue this claim. But the arrival of a striker can hopefully push 25-year-old Havertz to another level in an attempt to maintain his status.
Taking a page from Gareth Southgate’s book, at least from the outset Arsenal can operate as England did in the early stages of Euro 2024. Their German No.19 starts, with Toney then arriving from the bench to good effect as he did when he assisted Harry Kane’s extra-time winner against Slovakia, or stayed calm from the penalty spot in the shoot-out to beat Switzerland.
Not forgetting Jesus of course, who without the label of ‘third-choice’ placed above his head can hopefully be preserved with greater quality in attacking depth upon Toney’s arrival. The 27-year-old, with minutes managed, can keep his injury problems in check and continue to be an asset across all three areas of Arteta’s attack, in this ideal world.
