Arsenal told to sign striker who can become ‘their Haaland’ and unlock title glory for Arteta

Arsenal have been told they should spring a late transfer surprise and launch a deal to bring Ivan Toney to the club amid a belief that a deal is there to be done on the cheap and that the player will be key to dethroning Manchester City as Premier League champions.

The Gunners have finished as title runners-up in the last two seasons, taking Pep Guardiola’s side down to a final day showdown last time around but once again ultimately just falling short of the north-west powerhouse. However, Mikel Arteta is not a man to give up easily and, after seeing his side make steady strides in each and every season he has been at the helm, he will be more determined than ever to go one better with Arsenal this time around.

Arsenal have started the season well, winning both their opening games by 2-0 scorelines and, significantly, claiming a win at Aston Villa last time out; a team that did more than most to ultimately ruin their title hopes last time around.

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To further strengthen Arsenal’s chances, Arteta has so far made three additions to his senior squad with Mikel Merino on Tuesday being added to the previous deals done for David Raya and Riccardo Calafiori.

Having spent a combined £96m so far on the trio, there is a feeling that the Gunners still have more money to spend if they need to. To that end, they have been regularly linked with a new striker signing throughout the summer with the likes of Benjamin Sesko – prior to the signing of his new deal at RB Leipzig – Toney and Victor Osimhen among the big names linked with a move.

Arsenal advised to sign their own Erling Haaland

In recent weeks, though, it has emerged that Arteta has abandoned any plans Arsenal may have had to sign a new No 9, instead relying more heavily on summer 2023 signing Kai Havertz in a more central role this season.

Havertz scored 14 times and added seven asissts during an excellent debut campaign at Emirates Stadium and is already off the mark this, with a goal and assist to his name already.

However, he is not as prolific an option as some of those out there – and it would be unfair to compare him to others given he’s a different sort of attacker – with Man City star Erling Haaland, for example, up to four goals for the season already.

Now, in order to offer their attack something different and to maximise their chances of winning the title, former Gunners midfielder Emmanuel Petit has urged the club to go out and sign Toney before the window shuts.

The six-times capped England striker looks set to leave Brentford before the week is out and is valued at £50m by the Bees, though there is a general feeling that a deal is there to be done for a fee of around £40m.

Petit certainly thinks he is a signing that ticks a lot of boxes, as he explained: “Arsenal need a 20-goals-per-season striker, they currently have a few players who can score 10-15 goals per season, like how Man City used to be.

“Pep Guardiola changed the system because he knew he needed a striker who could score lots of goals. In Erling Haaland’s first season, he broke goalscoring records and won the Champions League. Mikel Arteta will follow the steps of Guardiola, the way their teams play and a striker would be a cherry on top of the cake.

“I think Nico Williams or someone like Ivan Toney could replicate Haaland’s output at Arsenal. Toney has a great relationship with Bryan Mbeumo, understanding the timing and movements of your teammates is something important for Arsenal and I think he could be the man that spearheads them to the title – a late move could do them wonders.”

Arteta hailed for Havertz master-class

Regardless of whether they do follow through with Petit’s suggestion, the Frenchman insists Arteta deserves the world of credit for getting a consistent tune out of Germany star Havertz.

His £65m move from Chelsea last summer certainly raised eyebrows but Petit claims Arsenal are now reaping the benefits of his excellent management.

“One thing I can say about Kai Havertz, is he has never given up,” Petit added. “When he arrived at Arsenal, he had criticism from former players, pundits, fans and the media.

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“Mikel Arteta has given him the confidence to play well, even when he was not performing well he would be on the pitch.

“The pressure on Havertz’s shoulders has been taken away, the love and respect from his teammates have been very important for a player like him, he can be very sensitive.

“At Chelsea, Havertz was clearly affected and he needed a positive environment. His teammates have the confidence to give him the ball throughout a game, at Chelsea, the team didn’t play fluidly so it stopped him getting on the ball.

“I don’t think he’s been amazing for Arsenal, but he has certainly improved and is playing with confidence now, and that says a lot about Arteta.”