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Pundit Ally McCoist has claimed that Arsenal need to sign Ivan Toney to challenge for the Premier League title this season. The former Scotland international has also suggested that Eddie Nketiah is not good enough to win the Gunners the title.
Toney has been widely linked with a switch to Arsenal over the last few months as the Gunners continue to struggle for goals. Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus have scored just eight Premier League goals between them this season which is clearly not good enough.
Rangers legend Ally McCoist has claimed that Ivan Toney is exactly what the Gunners are desperately craving for. He insisted that the England international could fire them towards Premier League glory.
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On being asked by talkSPORT whether Toney is the man who could lead Arsenal to glory, McCoist claimed that the striker is the perfect striker for Mikel Arteta's side. He hailed the 27-year-old as a 'proper out and out centre forward'.
The former Scotland striker also claimed that Napoli's Victor Osimhen would be the best pick. However, he insisted Toney is also good enough to finally prove to be the player who could make a difference. McCoist told talkSPORT:
"Ivan Toney, for me, is exactly what Arsenal need. A proper out and out centre forward, aggresive. He can drop off if you want. But, in the box scores goals. Osimhen is another one at Napoli. He is my number one. But if you ask me 'should Arsenal break the bank for Ivan Toney', yes."
On being asked about Eddie Nketiah, the Scotsman claimed that the Englishman won't win the Gunners the league. He said that while the Englishman will chip in with goals he won't score enough, saying:
"Nketiah won’t win you the league!"
Toney has served an eight-month ban for violating betting regulations and is set to make a return for Brentford against Nottingham Forest on January 20. During his time with the Bees, Toney has scored 68 goals and provided 21 assists in 124 games.
Liverpool icon blasts Arsenal manager for spending big on summer signing
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has blasted Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for splashing over £60 million on signing Kai Harvertz from Chelsea last summer. The Scotsman claimed that the money should have been spent on a striker instead.
Souness insisted that Havertz is not an upgrade on Emile Smith Rowe, who has been sparsely used by the Gunners this season. Souness told talkSPORT.
“I like Smith Rowe. As a midfield player running into the box, clever passes, everything seems to be done when he is sprinting which I like. Goal threat. Then you go spend £60m, Arteta. So the point I want to make is that £60m, I think is a fair criticism, you’ve spent…"
Souness has also insisted that the north London side need a striker in the summer and Mikel Arteta made a blunder by spending so much on Havertz. He added:
“You know what I am on about, building a football team, you try to strengthen the weakest part of your team. I think for most people, Arsenal needed another striker with [Gabriel] Jesus.
"You go and take Kai Havertz from Chelsea for big money when really you’ve got a homegrown player that is every bit as good as him so that £60m should have been maybe directed towards a striker and that might cost them, a different kind of striker."
Havertz has been decent for Arsenal this season having scored five goals in 29 appearances across competitions. He made a poor start to life at the Emirates but his form somewhat improved since December.
