Why Arsenal Failed to Sign World’s Most Ruthless Striker

The whole world knows that Arsenal are crying out for a perfect goalscoring number nine to complete Arteta’s puzzle of winning the English Premier League. Nearly-man Jesus nearly made it in his first season, but injury ended that. Eddie stepped up but never really showed he was the answer.

Now, Toney went to Saudi on the cheap despite being one of the best strikers in the world, with nobody going in for him from the EPL after the rumours of Arteta’s reported rejection of him after their meeting based on personality rather than potential. What a shame. What a waste. Arteta is amazing at judging characters, but I’m disappointed that he couldn’t see the potential of the recovering gambling addict and back his own man management of the Christian marksman.

Arteta is absolutely correct in only signing players who fit into his and the club’s ethical framework. Rather than sign someone like Spurs’ Solanke, he would rather wait.

Everyone knows how much Ivan Toney wanted to sign for Arsenal and is technically good enough to take on that role. However, Arteta reportedly met with Toney and didn’t fit the club’s vision of a player. Sure, he’s good enough. We all know that. But there must have been something else.

Maybe it was the gambling or the lack of loyalty to Brentford when he made his ambitions to play for a bigger club public. I get that. But he would have done the job for Arsenal without disrupting other players. Maybe this shows Arteta’s lack of confidence in changing players to fit his mould. Perhaps he tried, and that’s why nobody wanted to touch him. I would have had a punt of £50m on an absolute weapon of a striker.

Now, Arsenal relies on Havertz and his colleagues. The stats say they are doing just fine, but imagine if Toney was presented with the chances that Arsenal’s frontline squandered over the last two years.

I’m gutted that we have lost Toney from the EPL. I wish him all the best. I think Arsenal missed out there. Incredibly, Manchester United could have signed him and given itself a natural edge in this challenging era of its history in the shadow of the magnificent Manchester City.