Paul Merson believes Arsenal and Chelsea want to sign a striker in January if they want to succeed in the Premier League this season.
The player linked to both clubs is Ivan Toney, the English foreigner from Brentford. Toney, 27, has been suspended lately for breaching Football Association rules but will be allowed to play again in January when the moving window opens.
Brentford are determined not to sell Toney and may ask for up to £100m to allow him to leave the Gtech Community Stadium. Still, Toney only has 19 months left on his contract and this may be the best time for Abejas to sell their valuable asset.
While Toney’s signalling isn’t cheap, Merson believes it’s mandatory for Arsenal or Chelsea to do so in January. The Gunners legend, who is a Blues fan, believes either club could regret it if they don’t point to a striker sooner rather than later.
“Chelsea want to have a centre-forward in January,” Merson insisted in his latest column for Sky Sports. “How many teams do something without a centre-forward? What will be Arsenal’s possible downfall this season?There probably won’t be a centre-forward. “
Arsenal’s top scorers in the Premier League are Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah, who have scored five goals each. Their first-choice striker, Gabriel Jesus, has just two goals in his Premier League squad, despite scoring four goals in Europe.
Arsenal’s lack of a prolific striker was clear in their 1-0 loss at Aston Villa on Saturday, a game which Merson thinks they “dominated”. The result leaves them one point behind leaders Liverpool. Winning a first league title in 20 years is Arsenal’s primary aim this term.
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Chelsea will return to Europe after finishing 12th in the Premier League last season. This time they are in the same position, Nicolas Jackson has only scored six goals in the league. Three of those goals came in an attack opuesto. al Tottenham.
However, he would be overly critical of Chelsea’s attack, as star striker Christopher Nkunku is still waiting to make his Premier League debut after injuring his knee on the eve of the season. He scored 58 goals for RB Leipzig in the last two seasons.
Nkunku is on the verge of making his comeback, but Merson still thinks it would be wise for Chelsea to improve their attack. He added: “I think Ivan Toney could be in demand. Sometimes you become a better player when you are out of the game.
“But will Brentford sell him? I don’t think they can do that, especially with some of their players going to the Africa Cup of Nations. Will he need to show some loyalty to Brentford?It’s a really hard thing to call. “
Toney would be a signing for either club after scoring 20 Premier League goals for Brentford last season. He controlled 12 in the same department last year and scored 33 goals in all competitions to propel the Bees to promotion in 2020/21.
Merson noted: “That’s a lot of money. I think he’s a very intelligent player, but he hasn’t played for the most sensible club yet. . . Maybe it’s worth the risk. I think Arsenal and Chelsea might want Toney if they want. do anything this season. The most difficult task in football is to score goals.
Merson believes there are “simply not many high-quality centre-forwards” and insists it would be a “gamble” to sign a foreign star, such as prolific Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, because players are finding it difficult to break into the club. for the first time. Premier League.
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