Mikel Arteta sends frank warning to Arsenal stars after Toney transfer boost
Mikel Arteta has warned his Arsenal strikers that they must start delivering in "defining moments" - as the Gunners eye a January move for Ivan Toney.
Arteta's side hosted Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday and twice took the lead, initially through a Cristian Romero own goal and then an ice cool Bukayo Saka penalty. Spurs captain Son Heung-min twice restored parity, bagging a brace to earn his side a point.
Arsenal came flying out of the traps and spurned a number of early golden opportunities, including a wild close-range attempt from Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian had pickpocketed James Maddison in a dangerous area: a chance that would have significantly altered the trajectory of the match. And while Arteta was quick to praise Jesus' all-round performance, the Spaniard conceded that his players have to make the most of big opportunities in front of goal.
When Arteta was quizzed about Jesus' miss, he said: "These are defining moments in big matches, you have to be there and make the difference. We spoke about it after the PSV game. But this is football. It’s the hardest thing in football to put the ball in the net at the right time and every striker misses chances, you see it all across the league.
"He has a big impact in many areas of the pitch. On the weekend, he was really helpful in many moments, especially with his high press. In the final moment we have to be more ruthless there. We all know that and we need to help the players."
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Intriguingly, Arteta's comments come at a time when Arsenal are stepping up their interest in Toney, as revealed by Mirror Football . The Brentford striker, who is about to enter the final 18 months of his Bees contract, has been a long-term target for the Gunners.
Join the debate! Do you think Arsenal need to sign a No.9 in January? Let us know here.
Mikel Arteta wants to sign a proven goalscorer and Brentford striker Ivan Toney fits the bill (Jacques Feeney/Offside)The 27-year-old is currently serving an eight-month ban after breaching FA betting rules but is increasingly expected to move on in January, when he will be free to play again. Brentford are aware that their star striker is highly unlikely to sign a new deal and, therefore, are braced for offers in the New Year.
Arsenal have already received a boost in their pursuit of Toney after learning the proposed fee it would take to get a deal done, believed to be in excess of £60million. Shelling out such a sum for a proven Premier League striker would more than likely not be deemed an issue by Arteta, who is keen to add a No.9 to his squad.
If a deal can be struck, Eddie Nketiah could be left sweating over his Arsenal future. Like Jesus, Nketiah failed to deliver in front of goal in the north London derby and could even be used as a makeweight in any potential deal for Toney.
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