The Gunners are said to be keen on bringing some extra firepower to the Emirates Stadium in the new year that will help them sustain the momentum built by Mikel Arteta’s side during the opening months of the season.
Toney is currently coming to the end of his eight-month football ban handed down to him by the FA for his breach of gambling regulations. The 27-year-old has been able to train with his Brentford teammates this month in preparation for a return to action on January 16.
Whether he will still be a Brentford player or not by then remains to be seen, with both Arsenal and Chelsea among the clubs said to be seriously weighing up the prospect of trying to sign Toney next month.
Thomas Frank, Toney’s manager at Brentford, is not expecting to see his forward sold however, telling the Standard last month: “I don’t want to lose him. I hope, and think, he’ll be a Brentford player on February 1.
“Everyone saw what he did last year. It’s not like he broke a leg or did his ACL, so he’s fit and probably even more ambitious to get success. I’m convinced he will be absolutely on it.”
If Arsenal did manage to pull off a deal that sees Toney move to north London, supporters are going to wonder which squad numbers are available for the striker to take on at the Emirates Stadium.
Toney wears the No 17 at Brentford, which he also wore at his previous club Peterborough United for two seasons. That number is currently taken at Arsenal but by squad player Cedric Soares, whose contract expires next summer and who is expected to leave the club either then or in January.
If he doesn’t get hold of the No 17, Toney could take the number 21 which he wore for a short period at Barnsley earlier in his career. The number 27 is also available, which was the first squad number Toney played in when he made his senior debut for Northampton Town in 2012.
So, with that all in mind, here’s a brief list of some of the numbers available to him (1-40): 3, 13, 16, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36-40.
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