Arsenal turn attention to revitalised Prem striker as Toney transfer predicted to fail amid rival interest
Premier League strikers Dominic Solanke and Ivan Toney alongside the Arsenal badge
Arsenal have reportedly put Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke top of their list of targets other than Ivan Toney for January, as they are predicting they could lose out on the Brentford man.
The Gunners signed Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City last summer in a £45million move. Last season, he bagged 11 goals, but was outscored by each of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.
Jesus’ returns in the league have been meagre so far this term – he’s scored just twice in 11 games.
With Arsenal looking to go a step further than their second-placed finish last season, they’ll want to ensure their striker can impact games.
As such, they are on the lookout for a new man that can find the back of the net consistently.
Brentford man Toney currently tops that list, with Mikel Arteta identifying him as a fantastic option after a 20-goal season last term.
While it’s been reported by reputable transfer insider Fabrizio Romano that Toney is “really excited” about the possibility of joining Arsenal, it’s also been reported he could choose to stay with the Bees until the summer to pay them back for sticking by him during his ban for gambling involvement.
Given it’s possible a new addition in January could give Arsenal the boost they need to win the league, it seems Arteta may not be ready to wait that long, and is compiling a list of other striker targets.
Solanke tops Toney alternatives list
Top of that list, according to the Daily Star, is Bournemouth man Solanke. People high up at the Emirates are said to be impressed with the forward’s ‘hard-working displays’ with his current side.
It’s reported that Mikel Arteta will ‘push for Solanke’s arrival’ if an agreement for Toney can’t be reached.
Indeed, Toney is still the top target for January, but Arsenal ‘refuse to pay over the odds’ for him.
With interest from Chelsea and Tottenham, the Gunners could simply drop out of the race and let the two sides battle it out if they sense there’s no way they’ll win by paying a price they’re comfortable with.
Solanke revitalised at Bournemouth
Solanke is thriving in the Premier League at the moment. He’s scored eight goals this term, plus one against Luton which might well not count in the records given the game was abandoned.
He’s towards the top end of the top-scorers list in the Premier League this season, and is following up a decent campaign last time out, when he scored six league goals and chipped in with seven assists.
He’s come a long way since his first top-flight season with Liverpool, in which he scored just two goals.
His next two campaigns in the Premier League after moving to Bournemouth saw Solanke score just twice, but a move to Arsenal would be just reward for recent outings, and would show he’s got the mettle to bounce back from a tough period.
He’ll hope, if he does make the move, that he can continue scoring goals at the rate he currently is.
