Arsenal are firmly in the Premier League title race this season, sitting third in the league table after 23 games, two points behind leaders Liverpool (51). Mikel Arteta’s team next face West Ham United in the league on Sunday (February 11).
Meanwhile, the Gunners are interested in Amadou Onana. Elsewhere, Ivan Toney is likely to cost less than £100m this summer.
On that note, let’s take a look at the major Arsenal transfer news from February 9, 2024.
Arsenal want Amadou Onana
Arsenal have set their sights on Amadou Onana, according to Football Insider. The Belgian midfielder has caught the eye with his performances for Everton this season. Onana has registered 24 appearances across competitions for the Toffees this campaign, scoring two goals and setting up one more. The Gunners are in the market for a new midfielder following the uncertain futures of Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny.
The north London side have found their man in Onana, who could be the ideal partner for Declan Rice at the Emirates. However, Arsenal will face competition from Newcastle United, who also have their eyes on the 22-year-old. Everton are likely to listen to offers for the player this summer to help address their poor finances.
Ivan Toney to cost less than £100m this summer
Ivan Toney is unlikely to cost £100m this summer, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. The English striker is apparently a target for Arsenal and was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates in January. However, Toney ended up staying at Brentford, perhaps as a token of thanks for standing by him during his recent struggles.
The 27-year-old served an eight-month ban due to his tryst with illegal betting and appeared for the Bees for the first time last month. He has now scored two goals in two games already, further justifying the Gunners’ interest in his services. Brentford manager Thomas Frank recently admitted that the player is likely to leave the club at the end of the season. The Englishman’s contract with the Bees expires in 2025 and he hasn’t signed an extension so far.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano hinted that there could be a melee for Toney’s services at the end of the season.
“Thomas Frank has spoken publicly about Ivan Toney being likely to leave at the end of this season. He’ll have just a year left on his contract, so his price tag will likely be lower than the £100m it would have cost to sign him in January,” wrote Romano.
He continued:
“I think this situation makes sense and I don’t think clubs needed Frank to say that, it’s quite obvious and also one of the reasons why no one wanted to pay that amount of money in January. In the summer it will be different, for sure.”
Toney also has admirers at Chelsea, according to multiple reports.
Kai Havertz is happy at the Emirates
Kai Havertz insists that he is happy at Arsenal, despite a rocky start to his time with the club. The German midfielder arrived at the Emirates from Chelsea last summer in a big-money move but has failed to justify his price tag so far. Havertz has appeared 32 times across competitions this season for the Gunners, registering five goals and one assist.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 24-year-old insisted that he has worked on improving his defensive contributions for the team.
“Before, I used to focus a lot just on the offence, but defence is also a big part of the game and I knew that so I’ve worked on that quite a lot. I’ve been getting used to all the players, to the style of football and now, I feel very comfortable in the team so that’s good,” said Havertz.
He continued:
“We [Havertz, Odegaard and Rice] are all young, I think we are a similar age group. It’s amazing to play with them. They’re both top players and we are still getting used to each other, it is only five months that we’ve know each other. Hopefully there’s a big future ahead of us as well.”
Havertz’s form could be key to Arsenal’s quest for the Premier League title this season.
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