Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha believes that Arsenal would be best suited to sign in-demand striker Ivan Toney, but he expects the Brentford star to stay put beyond the January transfer window.
Earlier this month, the 27-year-old admitted that "it's obvious I want to play for a top club" and "play with the best", and those comments have subsequently intensified speculation over a potential exit from the Bees.
Premier League trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been credited with an interest in Toney, who recently returned to football after serving an eight-month ban for breaching Football Association betting rules.
Prior to his suspension, Toney elevated his game to new heights after scoring 20 goals in 33 Premier League games last season; only Erling Haaland (36) and Harry Kane (30) scored more.
Since joining Brentford from Peterborough United for around £5m, Toney has scored 69 goals and registered 21 assists in 125 appearances across all competitions, including his latest strike as captain in the Bees' 3-2 home win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on January 20.
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Speaking to Sports Mole following the release of a brand new BBC Sounds podcast 'Planet Premier League' for which he is joined by Cesc Fabregas, Onuoha stated that Toney would benefit if he stays beyond the January transfer window at Brentford, where he can re-establish his prolific form in front of goal and put himself in contention to receive an England call-up for Euro 2024.
"Yeah I think he will stay," said Onuoha. "I think he continues to be a big part of Brentford and that means there is more attention on him, especially before the European Championships. I think if he goes to the Euros, then the amount of eyes on him becomes that little bit greater again.
"I think when you look at the way he plays for Brentford, he's not just a number nine that stays through the middle, he's coming back, linking throw-ins, he's playing balls in behind and I think that's what brings out the best version of him.
"I think if a team brought him in now and tried to mix him in with different systems compared to how Brentford play, then you might not see the best of Ivan Toney. All of a sudden, he may only become someone solely there to score goals.
"I think for him, he now just wants to play football and see if he can get on that plane, train, bus whatever it is that's taking the England side over to Germany."
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Brentford are keen to keep hold of Toney this month and have allegedly slapped a £100m price-tag on their star striker, but they may struggle to keep hold of the Englishman this summer when he enters the final year of his contract.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea have been tipped to splash the cash on a prolific goalscorer such as Toney, but Onuoha feels that the Gunners' ability to go direct may suit the striker more than the style of play implemented at Chelsea.
"Thinking about how these teams play now, and they are very different, they both need a goalscorer... it's a shame to say this because I like [Gabriel] Jesus, but I think Arsenal," said Onuoha. "With Chelsea, they can link the play really well and have a certain style of play, whereas with Arsenal, I think at times they're happy to be a lot more direct when they need to be.
"They want someone who's energetic, who's going to beat the press by playing it long to them. Arsenal are good tactically, so I think Toney, but then again, I'm still having Jesus. I'm not as hard on him as other people have been. At this point last season, they had around 50 points and looked like they were going to win a league title. It wasn't too bad then and I don't think it's too bad now."
A lack of a killer instinct in the final third has troubled Arsenal supporters for much of the campaign, with Jesus netting just three Premier League goals in 16 appearances and Eddie Nketiah scoring only five times in 20 top-flight outings.
However, Mikel Arteta's side are still the fifth-highest scorers (42) in the Premier League to date this season – only six behind Man City who lead the way with 48 – while the Gunners are the leading scorers in the division from set-plays this term, registering 13 goals in 21 games, including a league-high 10 goals from corners.
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As for Chelsea, they have scored just three league goals fewer (35) than they managed in the whole of last season (38) with 17 games still remaining. Summer signing Nicolas Jackson has netted seven of those in 16 games thus far, including a hat-trick in a chaotic victory at Tottenham Hotspur in November, but the Senegalese has largely struggled to find consistency in front of goal in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
Fellow new recruit Christopher Nkunku has been restricted to just four appearances in all competitions due to injury, and Armando Broja has lacked regular first-team football, so Mauricio Pochettino has had to rely on the brilliance of versatile midfielder Cole Palmer, who has scored 11 goals in 24 games for the Blues, including nine strikes in the Premier League.
Man United are another side who have had their issues in front of goal this season having netted just 24 times in 21 Premier League games; only three teams – Sheffield United (17), Luton Town (21) and Crystal Palace (22) – have scored fewer.
The Red Devils paid a reported £72m to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta BC last summer, but the highly-rated 20-year-old has only scored twice in 16 Premier League matches this term – both of which have been netted in his most recent top-flight outings at home against Aston Villa and Spurs.
Erik ten Hag's side have struggled to score goals from elsewhere too, as attacking quartet Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial and Antony have found the net just seven times between them across 21 Premier League matches; midfielder Scott McTominay is their leading goalscorer in the league with five.
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Asked whether he can see Man United, who are reportedly keen to recruit a new striker, stepping up their interest in Toney this summer, Onuoha said: "They could, but then what are they doing with Hojlund?
"I think for the way Ten Hag plays, providing Ten Hag remains the manager, I don't think there is scope to have two number nines in rotation. Hojlund is young, but he's old enough to be playing week in week out, and if he's doing that then who's on the bench?
"Is [Toney] going to go somewhere where he's not going to be a starter, because otherwise he could stay a Brentford, and I think this idea that a club is bigger so everything it's just great - it is until you get there, then you're not playing then it's not as fun anymore.
"I don't think United (will go for Toney) right now just because they appear to have Hojlund, but then Chelsea have Jackson and Broja, while Arsenal have got Nketiah and Jesus."
Toney is not the only in-demand striker who could soon be on the move, as Nigerian goal machine Victor Osimhen is set to leave Napoli in the summer according to club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who has said that the 25-year-old is likely to join "Real Madrid, PSG or a top English club" before the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
The likes of Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface, Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy, Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee, Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez and, of course, PSG's Kylian Mbappe are other top strikers from across Europe who will likely be in demand ahead of the summer transfer window.
