Arsenal will travel to the London Stadium on Sunday (February 11) to face West Ham United in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta’s men are third in the league after 23 games and will be determined to pick up a win to pile the pressure on leaders Liverpool.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are interested in Pedro Neto. Elsewhere, the north London side have received a boost in their plans to sign Ivan Toney.
On that note, let’s take a look at the major Arsenal transfer news from February 11, 2024.
Arsenal eyeing Pedro Neto
Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Pedro Neto, according to HITC. The Portuguese winger has gone from strength to strength with Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, registering three goals and ten assists from 18 outings across competitions. The Gunners reportedly scouted him during the Wolves’ recent game against Brentford.
The north London sider are eyeing attacking reinforcements this year, particularly a backup for Bukayo Saka. The Englishman has been overburdened at times and Arsenal are keen to rope in a new face to share the load. Neto has been identified as a candidate for the job and could hit the ground running at the Emirates. His contract with the Midlands club expires in 2027.
Gunners receive Ivan Toney boost
Arsenal have received a boost in their plans to take Ivan Toney to the Emirates this year. According to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano, the English striker is likely to cost less than his reported £100m price tag at the end of this season. The north London side are looking to add more bite to their attack before the new campaign and have their eyes on Toney.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano explained why Toney’s price shot up in January from an initial £60-65m. He wrote:
“Ivan Toney will not continue at Brentford after the summer. This is the expectation with one year left on his contract. Ahead of the January transfer window, between October and November, Brentford were looking to ask for £60m-£65m for Ivan Toney. Then what happened?”
He continued:
“On the market, there were no other strikers available. Osimhen wasn’t available. Sesko wasn’t available and many others were not available, and so they decided to put a different price tag on Ivan Toney, something around £100m.”
The transfer guru added that the Gunners could face competition from Chelsea in the race for Toney. He wrote:
“No one made a proposal because they didn’t want to spend that money for a player who was out of contract in summer 25. So now, in the summer transfer window as the manager Thomas Frank mentioned, the idea is for Ivan Toney to join a top club.”
He concluded:
“He’s had a new agent since August so let’s see what’s going to happen at Arsenal. They never made a proposal in January but he’s always been one of the players appreciated by the club. Let’s see what’s going to happen at Chelsea too because we know that Victor Osimhen is on the list.”
Toney recently returned to action after serving a eight-month ban from football due to illegal betting, and has registered three goals from four appearances so far.
Gabriel Magalhaes happy at the Emirates
Gabriel Magalhaes has insisted that he remains settled at Arsenal after working his way back into Mikel Arteta’s starting XI. The Brazilian defender was relegated to the bench for the first three games of this season, adding to speculation regarding his future. However, Gabriel eventually made to the first team in the 3-1 victory over Manchester United and hasn’t looked back since.
Speaking to PA News, the 26-year-old added that a quick chat with Arteta helped him stay focussed and regain his place in the team. He said:
“It was tough, obviously at the start. I wanted to play and it was very difficult for me but I understood what the coach had to do. It is difficult for any player to not be in the team but now I’m back in I want to keep on working hard to prove my worth.”
He continued:
“He [Arteta] spoke to me and obviously explained the reasons behind the decision. Why I should stay, but the most important thing was to remain focused and concentrate. He knew how important I was to the team, so I’m happy to be back and to be able to help the team in every game. I’m happy to be back in the team and hopefully I can help them moving forward.”
Gabriel has appeared 31 times across competitions this season for the north London side, 29 of which have been starts.
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