Arsenal held meeting with ‘world-class’ striker but Mikel Arteta rejected the chance to sign him

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Arsenal would definitely like to sign a new attacker in the final days of the transfer window.

The Gunners have already added Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino to their squad after turning David Raya’s loan into a permanent deal early in July.

That makes them a really strong side, but many people like Alan Shearer believe Arsenal need a new striker to win the Premier League title ahead of Manchester City.

The North Londoners have been linked with plenty of names, but one of them definitely won’t be joining the club in this window, claims Dean Jones on GiveMeSport.

Arsenal held a meeting with Ivan Toney in March

Ivan Toney has been linked with a move to Arsenal for the better part of the last year.

The Englishman has entered the final year of his Brentford contract, and it is clear that he wants to leave the club for better opportunities.

Brentford have left Toney out of their squad in their opening two Premier League games, and all signs point towards an exit before the window shuts.

However, Arsenal will not be signing him.

Jones has revealed on GMS that Arsenal actually held a meeting with Toney back in March to discuss the prospect of signing him this summer.

However, after just one conversation, Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar decided against making a move to sign Toney in this window.

Arsenal have now turned their attention to signing a versatile forward who can play as a backup to Bukayo Saka instead of going after an out-and-out striker.

Why Arsenal rejected a chance to sign Ivan Toney

Many people including John Obi Mikel have urged Arsenal to sign Toney this summer.

The Englishman, branded as a ‘world-class‘ striker, checks a lot of boxes for the Gunners. He’s excellent in the air, good with his back to goal and has proven that he can score goals in the Premier League.

However, TBR Football has been told that Arsenal feel Toney is a bit similar to Kai Havertz, which is why they decided to look elsewhere.

We can confirm that Edu Gaspar did hold talks with the striker’s representatives but decided against signing him for the above reason.

If Arsenal do sign a striker, it will be someone who is different to Havertz.