Arsenal will have to sell first in Ivan Toney pursuit

Arsenal have been troubled in the striker department this season, with both Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah struggling for consistency in their fitness and finishing.

Despite Nketiah recording his first Premier League hat-trick against Sheffield United, he hasn’t made the required impact when deputising for his Brazilian teammate.

Speaking of Jesus, whilst performances have been positive, a string of injuries has limited the forward’s overall impact, as the ex-Manchester City man has missed most of Arsenal’s big games this term.

As a result, Mikel Arteta is rumoured to be in pursuit of another addition in the style of Leandro Trossard, adding quality depth in January, at a price that works for the club.

However, The Athletic claim Arsenal will need to sanction a ‘big’ sale in order to be able to afford Brentford’s £100m-rated forward Ivan Toney.

Brentford have valued Ivan Toney at £100M and fully intend to keep the striker at least until the end of the season 💰🔴

An interest of a number of top clubs include Premier League sides Chelsea and Arsenal 👀📝 pic.twitter.com/oT7sGRxFc2

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 1, 2023

Although Arsenal are extremely keen on Toney, the issue is that of FFP. Despite managing their financial fair play well, lowering their wage bill, which allowed the Gunners to spend big on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber last summer, another reported £100 million fee can not currently be commissioned.

David Raya had to be signed on an initial loan deal to work around Arsenal’s FFP, and now players will have to be sold, if Toney is to be acquired.

Out-of-favour goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale could be used to raise funds, but Arteta is rumoured to want to keep the England international in January.

Thomas Partey could be another source of income, with Juventus keen on the midfielder according to The Daily Mail, however Arteta may not want to sell quality depth halfway through the campaign.

Although Toney may give Arsenal the boost they need in their pursuit of both the Premier League and Champions League, the transfer may not be financially viable for the Gunners until next summer.