In the last days of the transfer market, Mikel Arteta ought to be keeping a watch on West London, since Brentford could be the location of Arsenal’s next big-league acquisition.

This weekend’s return of the Premier League has given fans the twists and turns they’ve been waiting for throughout its three-month break. The most recent, Ivan Toney’s unexpected removal from his team’s opening matchday roster of the season, has shocked many and his departure is now quite likely.

“Ivan has a lot going on, and there is interest in a transfer. Before the game, manager Thomas Frank stated, “We decided not to include him in the squad because of all that.” It’s the old standby: I was unable to contribute too much the day before. Although he has been an excellent player for us, we proved last year more than anything else that we can function without him.

He said, “Who knows?” when asked if we had seen the last of Toney wearing the red and white stripes of the club. Though not quite as much, there is curiosity.

Although the most recent speculated move for the striker is to join Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, the move has undoubtedly been planned for some time, and during the course of those two or so years, the Emirates Stadium has been mentioned as a potential destination.

Though they haven’t yet reached their ‘peak’ years in the game, Arteta and the other players have a lot of Premier League experience between them, so they are already a formidable attacking force. They scored 91 league goals last year, up from 88 the year before, demonstrating their growing threat, but the harsh reality is that they have now failed twice in their attempts to bring down Manchester City’s mighty empire.

Twelve days remain until the current window closes, and the Gunners have only made two acquisitions thus far: defender Riccardo Calafiori ($42 million) from Bologna and David Raya ($27 million), a deal that was planned for last summer. Football stated, no assailant has entered through the front door.London has looked at the alternate past in which Arteta is able to launch his ideal assault on their opponents and Toney becomes the club’s next historic acquisition.

Those on the left
Regarding the left side of assault, not much has to be done before the window closes or even in the near future.

With Gabriel Martinelli, 23, and Leandro Trossard, 29, the manager has two outstanding choices at this point. They each have unique strong attributes that they may use to their advantage against different opponents. Based on Saturday’s Premier League opening against Wolves, the former appears to be given the starting position; nevertheless, if he is unable to regain his goal-scoring intensity from two seasons ago, a reassessment would be necessary.

Regarding the latter, Trossard was frequently the person to consult when the teammates he was chosen ahead of him were unable to provide the solutions. I hope this goes on for a long time, but a great club is one that takes care of issues before they become problems. Even at his age of nearly thirty, Edu should be considering the creation of a succession plan well in advance of the Belgian’s possible departure.

Those on the right
On the other hand, Bukayo Saka has cemented himself as the starting lineup regular and, barring any major upsets over the next ten or so years, can carve a lasting legacy as a local legend for the club.

In terms of position, Reiss Nelson is the most logical person to call upon within Arteta’s team. Although he was a member of the squad on Saturday, his future in North London has been questioned due to connections to other Premier League teams during the summer. To yet, wage demands have shown to be the obstacle preventing any arrangement from moving further.

If he were to leave, forced or not, it would free up more cash and motivation to sign a replacement for the right flank. That replacement could come from someone like Trossard, who was a top-tier player until 18 months ago, or from a younger player who has the potential to develop into a rival to the Englishman. This doesn’t have to be the club’s first priority because of what’s coming up.

Attackers
This is the key issue that needs to be resolved before the 2024–2025 campaign. Arteta now has three possibilities here, but like with Trossard’s first signing, a rush to secure Toney’s presence can change what was already there, upend the status quo, and introduce the danger of fresh competition.

With his goal on opening day, Kai Havertz solidified his position as the team’s first-choice to assume the central role of the front three. Who would have guessed that Gabriel Jesus, who signed from Manchester City two years ago, would have ended up as second choice? The Brazilian has struggled to overcome his constant injury issues, but this strategy should help him manage his playing time and ensure that Arteta gets the most out of his £45 million player.

It appears like Toney’s story will take a significant turn in the days ahead. Brentford’s hand might be forced, even if he doesn’t wind up in Saudi Arabia. With one year remaining on his contract, they might even be able to cut the price tag below the £60m they had set out for their No. 17. Eddie Nketiah may have to pay for Toney’s arrival, and the Gunners can part ways with their academy graduate in good standing as he pursues regular playing time with one of his admirers. Nketiah’s exit could be crucial in obtaining Toney, as both Marseille and Bournemouth made bids for the striker in recent weeks before abandoning their plans, with Arsenal reportedly seeking £30 million for the player.

Toney will believe he is good enough to start, and there won’t be much room for dispute if Arteta can assist him in regaining the form he had prior to his football ban, which caused him to miss a significant portion of the 2023–24 season. But Havertz, 25, can try to hold onto his standing by raising his game with the addition of a striker.

Taking a cue from Gareth Southgate, Arsenal can perform similarly to England throughout the first few games of Euro 2024, at least initially. Their German No. 19 starts, and Toney comes on as a substitute and does a great job, much like when he helped Harry Kane win in extra time against Slovakia or maintained composure to beat Switzerland in a shootout.

Of course, we must overlook Jesus, who, if he does not carry the stigma of being the “third-choice,” should be able to maintain a higher calibre of attacking depth when Toney joins the team. In a perfect scenario, the 27-year-old could manage his minutes to control his injury issues and maintain contributing to Arteta’s attack in all three areas.