Arsenal will be hoping to keep the pressure up on Premier League leaders Manchester City when they face London rivals Brentford on Saturday.
Arsenal will be hoping to keep the pressure up on Premier League leaders Manchester City when they face London rivals Brentford on Saturday.
The Gunners currently occupy third place in the table, level on points with second-placed Liverpool and just a point behind leaders City.
The game against the Bees presents Mikel Arteta’s side with a good opportunity to keep within touching distance of the Citizens, who also beat Arsenal to the top flight title last term.
In the meantime, the North London outfit have reportedly made a huge decision in regard to their transfer plan for the coming 12 months.
According to Football Insider, Arsenal are planning to make a marquee striker signing in 2024.
It is claimed that Brentford forward Ivan Toney and Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic are the club’s two main targets, however both players could prove tricky to sign during the upcoming January window and Arsenal may therefore have to wait until next summer.
The Bees will reportedly demand a huge fee for Toney, who is currently serving a ban from football for breaching FA betting rules. If the Gunners wait until the summer, Brentford may lower their asking price for Toney as he will be nearing the expiry of his current deal.
Vlahovic, meanwhile, was previously a target for the Gunners during his time with Fiorentina, prior to his £62.8 million move to Turin. It is claimed that Juventus may be forced to sell the Serbian, however they are unlikely to allow him to leave mid-season.
At present, Arteta’s two choices in the striker role are Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah. While Nketiah is a product of the club’s youth academy, Jesus joined the club from Manchester City last summer in a deal worth around £45 million.
Since then he has scored 15 goals in 44 games across all competitions, but he has also missed more than 20 games through injury. The Brazilian has struggled with injuries ever since joining the club, though, and Arteta is therefore keen to bolster his attacking options with a huge signing next year.