Arsenal: £230m pair on Arteta’s ‘hit list’ as Chelsea target is backed to take Gunners to ‘another level’

Lewis Oldham 16 Sep 2023 8:00 AM

Brentford's Ivan Toney and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins

According to reports, Arsenal are ‘seeking alternatives to Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah’ and two forwards worth £230m are on Mikel Arteta’s ‘hit list’.

The Gunners spent over £200m in the summer to sign Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya.

Arsenal expert Charles Watts has now told TEAMtalk that the club’s ‘priority will turn to the frontline’ ahead of the January transfer window.

Watts stated that it ‘wouldn’t be a surprise’ if ‘Arsenal bring in a more physical option’ over the next year and he brings up Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Brentford’s Ivan Toney as players on Mikel Arteta’s ‘striker hit list’.

Osimhen was valued at around £150m in the summer and it’s being reported that Napoli are hoping that he will sign a new contract.

Regarding the Nigeria international, Watts predicted that there will be a release clause in his new Napoli contract and he’s ‘still’ on Arsenal’s wishlist.

‘Victor Osimhen, his agent’s been over at the training ground. They’ve had talks – not recently – but he was on the agenda,’ Watts wrote for TEAMtalk.

‘In the summer when Arsenal were trying to sign Gabriel Jesus, talks were held regarding that possibility. He will be on the list still just because of how good he is.

‘And if you’re looking for strikers, come next summer, Osimhen is going to be at the top of pretty much everyone’s list because of what he’s done in Italy but he’s going to cost an awful lot of money.

‘He’s about to sign that new contract with Napoli; I presume there’s some sort of agreement in that new contract that he will be able to go if a certain fee is met, but that is going to be a very, very big fee. So we shall see.’

Toney meanwhile is understood to be valued at £80m and he is on Chelsea’s radar. Watts reckons the Brentford standout is capable of taking Arsenal ‘to another level’.

‘Ivan Toney is another player who would fit Arsenal really, really well. I look at Ivan Toney as a potential January option,’ Watts added.

‘If you’re in and around the title race, and you’ve got the opportunity to move for someone like Toney for the second half of the season, who will come back very hungry and determined to prove a point, that could really do wonders in getting you over the line.

‘He’d be perfect for Arsenal. Technically he’s very good. He’s really, really strong. I’ve never seen anyone trouble William Saliba as much in my life as Ivan Toney did in the game at the Emirates last season.

‘It was an amazing individual performance from him. He could really take them to another level and get them even closer to Manchester City.’

Arsenal Ivan Toney