Ivan Toney should no longer be Arsenal’s number one priority this summer, club need to act now

It’s thought that a move for Ivan Toney should be a given for Arsenal in the summer when he’ll have just 12 months left on his contract.

Arsenal fans have been desperate for the club to sign an out-and-out goalscorer, and Mikel Arteta must have the same desire.

Gabriel Jesus shouldn’t be going anywhere, but perhaps Toney would represent a big upgrade on Eddie Nketiah.

It remains to be seen what price tag Toney will hold in the summer, but Arsenal should see the move as a must.

That being said, one piece of business could now prove to be even more important for the club with the summer in mind.

Yes, every Arsenal fan will want a new striker, but they also won’t want to lose their manager who is at the head of all of their progress.

Mikel Arteta now only has 18-months-left on his Arsenal contract, which should be cause for concern.

And when you consider that Barcelona will soon have a managerial vacancy after Xavi departs in the summer, there’s even more reason to worry.

Arsenal need to sign Mikel Arteta to a new contract before any other business this summer

Although he may have liked to have added another trophy or two over the last 12 months or so, Arteta has done a superb job in North London.

The Spaniard looks to have an incredibly productive relationship with Edu Gaspar behind the scenes, and the duo are taking the club forward.

Barcelona have long been thought to be interested in Arteta as a future manager, and the job obviously does have considerable pull.

Arteta seems happy at Arsenal, but the club need to cement his position as soon as possible.

The club have some lofty transfer targets for the summer, and any new signing will surely assurances around Arteta’s future.

Arsenal fans will hope that the club are already working on a new contract for Arteta, something they’ll want announced before the summer arrives.

Of course, if that isn’t the case, and Arteta could be tempted by a shock move, the club will also need to plan for another direction.

It’s a tense one, but fans will stay optimistic.

And with optimism in mind, one player linked with a summer move to North London has been really impressing for his country.