Despite a slightly disappointing draw against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night, it’s been a brilliant few weeks for Arsenal.
They have climbed back to the top of the Premier League thanks to Liverpool’s draw over the weekend, big wins against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, and their impressive draw away to Manchester City.
That said, while Mikel Arteta’s side are scoring goals at a reasonably healthy rate, they’re still missing chances which could cost them come May.
Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have done admirable jobs thus far this season. Still, the latter has missed a significant portion of the campaign and could be in danger of losing his place in the team, as recent reports suggest Arsenal may be about to repeat their Declan Rice trick with another target in the summer.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Brentford striker Ivan Toney could be leaving the Bees in the summer, and Arsenal, alongside several other Premier League clubs, are still “monitoring him closely.”
The good news for the Gunners is that Plettenberg has revealed that his new price is in the region of £30m to £40m, which is considerably cheaper than the £100m reported before and during the January transfer window.
However, the bad news is that to get their man, the north Londoners will have to wrestle with Chelsea and West Ham United, among other unnamed top-flight sides.
He might not be the big-name striker Gooners are craving, but at a potential price of £40m, it seems like an offer too good to turn down, especially when comparing his goal record to Jesus’ from last season.
How Ivan Toney compares to Gabriel Jesus
Now, the first thing to say is that if Arsenal were to complete this deal, it would mirror the signing of Rice last summer in the sense that they would be going to a fellow London club who are below them in the league and poaching their best player.
Moreover, if the Englishman can reproduce the form he showed for Brentford last season, he could have a similarly seismic impact on the Gunners.
That said, how does the former Newcastle United gem compare to the man he’d likely replace in the team, Jesus?
Well, this season is a hard one to make direct comparisons with, as the 28-year-old missed a significant portion of it due to an eight-month betting-related ban, but when comparing their records from last year, there’s only one winner.
In his 33 appearances for the Gunners, the former Manchester City ace scored 11 goals and provided seven assists, meaning he achieved an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.83 games in red and white. However, the Brentford man did even better.
Appearances
35
33
Goals
21
11
Assists
5
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.74
0.54
In his 35 games last season, the Northampton-born “monster,” as manager Thomas Frank dubbed him, scored a whopping 21 goals and provided five assists. This means he achieved a seriously impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.34 games for a significantly weaker side.
Ultimately, there is a slight risk present due to his time out of the game, but if Arsenal can secure the Englishman’s signature for £30m-£40m, they absolutely should, as having a poacher of his calibre in the team could be the difference between winning the league next season and finishing runners-up.
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