Arsenal in ‘pole position’ to land dream Arteta signing who can replace ‘underperforming’ star

Arsenal are leading the race to sign Brentford forward Ivan Toney in the summer transfer window, according to the latest reports.

It’s no secret that Arsenal are after a new centre-forward and Toney appears to be at the top of their list. With his eye for goal and excellent link-up skills, he seems like the perfect fit for Arteta’s side.

The Brentford man recently made his return to action and he’s wasted no time in making an impact. With three goals in his last four matches, he still looks as sharp as ever following his eight-month ban.

While plenty of clubs are interested in signing Toney this summer, Arsenal appear to be at the front of the queue right now.

According to Football Insider, the Gunners are in ‘pole position’ to land his signature. With his contract set to expire in 2025, Brentford will see the summer as the perfect time to sell.

“It’s the same message as the whole time, I would love him to stay forever,” Frank told reporters.

“The reality is he’s got one more year left on his contract in the summer. I think he’s been pretty open about playing for a top club in the future.

“There’s a couple of scenarios; he leaves in the summer, he leaves in the winter, or he stays until the end.

“If he’s leaving – whatever, summer, winter or the summer after – I think it will be fantastic seeing him playing for a top club.”

From a goalscoring perspective, Toney would represent an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus. While the Brazilian forward does bring his own set of skills to the table, his finishing can be quite erratic.

As things stand, Toney is just one goal behind Jesus in the league this season and that’s despite missing the first half of the campaign through suspension.

Earlier in the season, Alan Shearer singled out the Brazilian forward for criticism, citing his xG underperformance as an area where he needs to improve.

“Without wishing to pick on him, he has consistently been underperforming his xG over the past few years, which tells you he’s getting into good positions and isn’t finishing them,” Shearer told The Athletic.

For context, Toney has overperformed his xG by one goal this season, whereas Jesus has been underperforming by 1.3.