Arsenal urged to avoid Dembele by Petit as the PSG star is 'not scoring goals'

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has urged the Gunners to swerve Ousmane Dembele in January as the club look to improve their attacking options.

As Mikel Arteta's current crop of Gunners look to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League this season, there have been rumours swirling about potential new players.

But Petit, who joined Arsenal from Monaco in 1997, has said PSG's Dembele would be a poor fit for the North London side, while suggesting another star striker who would be a good signing in January.

Petit told OLBG: 'Ousmane Dembele is struggling as he's under massive pressure at PSG. He wastes chances on many occasions and he's not scoring goals. It's been a difficult start for him, so I can't say Dembele for Arsenal.

'I'm a huge fan of Ivan Toney. He's done a great job with Brentford ever since they came up from the Championship, and I'm not surprised that they're struggling without him, even if they beat Chelsea at the weekend.

'Brentford are not the same team without Toney and the package he brings - his goals, mentality, and behavior. Whoever gets Toney in January, if he does leave, will be getting a great bargain. If Arsenal have a chance to sign him, they should go for him.'

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has declared he wants Toney to stay at the Bees 'forever', amidst a potential battle for his signature from Arsenal and Chelsea, another one of Petit's former teams.

Petit won the Premier League with the Gunners in his first season in 1998, playing 118 games for the club before leaving for Barcelona in 2000. The following year he came back to London to join Chelsea, where he remained until 2004.

Dembele, 26, is another former Barcelona player, who left to join PSG in the summer for €50.4m