West Ham United‘s quest for a new striker has received a significant boost with reports suggesting their rivals Arsenal have cooled their interest in a shared target, Ivan Toney.
Both West Ham and Arsenal identified the need for a striker this summer, leading them to consider Brentford’s prolific goalscorer, Ivan Toney.
Toney has been on West Ham’s radar for a while. The club famously missed out on signing him for a mere £10 million from Peterborough, a decision labelled a major regret by majority owner David Sullivan. Journalist Graeme Bailey recently confirmed West Ham’s continued pursuit of Toney.
While Arsenal initially shadowed West Ham’s hopes, a recent change of heart has been reported. Sources close to Arsenal revealed on the “Inside Arsenal” podcast that the club met with Toney but were ultimately unimpressed.
The podcast insider claimed that Arsenal “don’t like him” and found his personality off-putting during their meeting. It appears Toney’s personality clashes with manager Mikel Arteta’s expectations for his squad.
This development is positive for West Ham, but competition remains. Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly preparing their first official bid for Toney, putting West Ham in a direct battle for his signature. The asking price set by Brentford will be a major factor in West Ham’s decision.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui and Mikel Arteta share a similar footballing philosophy due to their Basque roots. Lopetegui may be aware of Arteta’s reservations about Toney, leading to potential hesitation on West Ham’s part.
Regardless of the Toney situation, West Ham needs reinforcements in multiple positions, including the attacking line. Youssef En-Nesyri is another striker linked to the club.
Seems to good to be true, he is absolutely amazing and will launch us up the table. People forget how good he is but he can get 25 goals with us.
I hope we opt for Guirassy. He represent the best value when we have so many gaps to fill and he’s mustard.
The £15 million (€17.5 million) that is quoted as Serhou Guirassy release clause is exactly that, the minimum amount to activate his release. However with multiple teams interested in his services, obviously a bidding war of sorts will undoubtedly ensue, so in real terms he will more than likely be sold for nearer double that.
I’d rather have him than el nesri.
If only we got him when they offered him but oh well.
He’d would cost half of our budget I reckon.