Renowned journalist Charles Watts, who specializes in Arsenal transfer news, has explained the complexities of potential moves for Brentford attacker Ivan Toney and Napoli ace Victor Osimhen.
Ivan Toney Not At The Top Of Arsenal’s Wishlist, Claims Charles Watts
Arsenal has long been linked with a move for Brentford’s Toney. According to some reports, the Gunners almost signed Toney in the 2023-24 winter transfer window, but Watts claimed that those “noises” came primarily from the player’s camp.
In his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Watts revealed:
“Ivan Toney continues to be linked and that speculation is only going to increase as we head towards the market opening. Arsenal have discussed Toney, he is a player they admire, but it’s not one I’m convinced will happen.
“There was lots of talk about something potentially happening in January but all the information I was getting was that much of the noise was coming from the player’s side, rather than the Arsenal side. There was never any possibility of Toney signing in January and I’d be surprised should it happen in the summer.”
He concluded the section by adding:
“Obviously you can never rule it out and, as I’ve said, Arsenal have admired the Brentford striker’s qualities for some time, but I don’t think he will be at the top of their list of targets for a new frontman.”
Charles Watts Believes Victor Osimhen Could Be Too Expensive For Gunners
Like Toney, Osimhen has also been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium. The Napoli striker is expected to leave the club at the end of the 2023-24 season, but the Partenopei will likely charge a fortune for him.
Watts claimed that Osimhen’s representative visited Arsenal a couple of years earlier but the club ultimately went for Gabriel Jesus.
He c0ntinued:
“It will be interesting to see whether they move for Victor Osimhen. He, like Toney, is a player they like and I know that his representatives have visited Arsenal’s training ground for talks with Edu.
“Those talks took place in the summer when Arsenal eventually signed Gabriel Jesus. Jesus was always the priority that year, but Osimhen was definitely a player they viewed as a serious alternative.”
Watts, however, said that the north Londoners might drop Osimhen’s pursuit, as they would want to spread out their budget to improve the overall quality of the team.
Watts added:
“That interest will remain, but the Nigerian could prove to be too costly an option in a summer given Arsenal want to spread their budget around as they look to take the squad to the next level.”
As per Watts, Arsenal also want to sign a midfielder as well as a winger in the summer. Signing a striker, however, will be at the top of their summer task sheet.
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