Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes 27-year-old Brentford striker Ivan Toney will struggle at Arsenal.
Ivan Toney’s future has been the talk of the town of late. The 27-year-old has been subject to a lot of interest from some of the biggest clubs in England and he could be on the move in the winter transfer window.
Arsenal are one of the clubs linked with the England international but pundit Danny Murphy believes the Brentford striker might not be able to get going at the north London club.
Toney has gone from strength to strength since joining the Bees back in 2020. He was in sensational form last season. The 27-year-old featured in a total of 33 Premier League games and managed to find the back of the net on 20 occasions. He even contributed with four assists.
It was an exceptional season for the England international and he was expected to be on the move in the summer. But, he ended up receiving a ban for breaches of betting rules. The £60 million-rated star won’t be back until January.
Despite his ban, the interest in his services is still intact. Arsenal and Chelsea are keen on having the 27-year-old in their ranks. Both clubs are in need of a new number nine and Toney is on their radar.
The Gunners do have two quality strikers in their ranks but they need someone who can guarantee them 20 goals a season and they believe the England international could help their cause.
Meanwhile, the Blues have been struggling in front of goal since last season. They do not have a proven goal scorer in their ranks and feel Toney who has proved himself in the English top flight could be a great addition to their squad.
While both Chelsea and Arsenal are ready to battle for the services of the 27-year-old, former Liverpool midfielder Murphy feels Toney might not fit the system under Mikel Arteta. He feels the Brentford striker might struggle at Arsenal.
While talking to talkSPORT via HITC, Murphy said: “I think he lacks a little bit of dynamism and explosive power,”
“He is really good in the air, and Brentford put a lot of crosses into the box. Arsenal like to go and play little triangles, and pull balls back into the box.
“Brentford play to his strengths. Arsenal are a footballing team. They play intricate football and pretty patterns, and Toney hasn’t been played in a team who does that.
“I think the obvious one at the moment is Chelsea.”
The 46-year-old feels Toney is not dynamic enough to fit into Arsenal’s system that looks to build up play and cut balls back into the box. He might be a better fit at Chelsea where it is a bit more direct, similar to what he has at Brentford.
