Chris Sutton has urged Arsenal not to sign Ivan Toney in January and instead look to an ‘up to speed’ Premier League striker to help them maintain their title charge.
The Gunners have been heavily linked to sign the Brentford forward in the upcoming transfer window with the 27-year-old having reportedly been ‘really excited’ about the prospect of joining the north London club.
Toney is currently serving an eight-month ban for breaching the Football Association’s rules on betting and is free to return on January 16.
The forward has been making a gradual come-back to training in recent months as his restrictions ease, having also played in a behind-closed-doors match according to reports.
His absence has been a huge loss for Brentford, with Toney returning an impressive 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season.
Arsenal have been urged not to sign Brentford star Ivan Toney in the January transfer window
Mikel Arteta’s side are hoping to add to their forward stocks in a bid to maintain their title charge
Chris Sutton believes that Toney may not be the right striker for the Gunners at this moment
And as Arsenal look to maintain their title charge this season, Mikel Arteta is in the market for a new striker to help improve the Gunner’s threat in front of goal, with Toney being one of the top picks on the Spanish manager’s shortlist.
But, according to Sutton, Toney may not be the right fit for the Gunners at this moment in time.
‘They are playing catch-up to Liverpool, with City hot on their heels – Pep Guardiola’s side would go above them if they win their game in hand,’ Sutton said to BBC Sport.
‘There’s been plenty of talk already about how manager Mikel Arteta needs to sign another striker in January.
‘Brentford’s Ivan Toney has been linked for a while, but he has not played for months because of his suspension. He will have been training, but how much match sharpness does he have?’
Sutton instead gave his verdict on who Arsenal should sign to help them score more goals, claiming that the north London outfit should look to Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke instead.
‘Arsenal are trying to win the title, so they haven’t got time to wait for anyone to get up to speed,’ he added.
‘If we are looking at the names that are supposedly within their grasp, Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke stands out as the best candidate.’
Solanke is in red-hot form for the Cherries…