Ivan Toney has already helped Mikel Arteta transform Arsenal into Premier League title contenders

Ivan Toney could be a possible future addition to Arsenal's squad with the forward making it perfectly clear in recent months that he sees his long-term future away from Saturday's Premier League opponents Brentford.

Mikel Arteta's sights are set firmly on enhancing his team through long-established transfer plans — with Toney potentially at the forefront of their ambitions for a high-scoring No.9.

«The plans that we have for the summer are very clear,» he said, recently. «They were done almost at the start of the season understanding what we can have, the contract situations with some players, and how we can improve certain areas of the team. This situation doesn't change that.»

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However, apart from discussions about lofty fees and Toney's ability to lift Arsenal to new levels, there's another aspect to consider. When Arsenal met Brentford in a heated match back in August 2021, they had been outmanoeuvred by the newly promoted squad. Brentford played a brilliant game, but Arsenal's predictable weaknesses led to their defeat.

Toney's cheeky tweet — «Nice kickabout with the boys» — after the match was used as motivation by Arteta in the next game against the Bees. In the Amazon documentary about Arsenal's season, All or Nothing, Arteta is seen giving his pre-match talk with Toney's tweet displayed on a TV screen.

«I have managed to keep it in my stomach for six months,» Arteta said. «This is Toney [show's tweet] after the game when we played them at Brentford.

»You know what he did, you know his tweet? 'Nice kick-about with the boys this