Ivan Toney transfer request made as Arsenal urged to land £100m striker in January window

Ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson has urged his former side to launch a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the January transfer window. It comes as the Gunners have struggled to find the back of the net in recent games, coming as a huge blow to their Premier League title hopes.

The run started in a defeat to West Ham, where the north London outfit had plenty of the ball and lots of shots but couldn't quite force an opening. It was the Hammers that did the damage as they showed off their clinical edge in both boxes to run out as 2-0 winners.

Mikel Arteta had chance to rectify that quick against Fulham, where an early goal for Bukayo Saka appeared to end those woes, but that wouldn't be the case. Raul Jimenez and Bobby De Cordova-Reid struck either side of half-time to put the tie in the hands of the Whites, with Arsenal struggling to find a breakthrough again.

«Painful and a sad day. That’s how I would sum it up,» the manager said in reflection. «We had the chance to be top of the table after 20 games with the consistency that we’ve shown. We haven’t managed well enough to earn the right to win the game. Three days ago we lost a game that we deserved to win, today was a very different story.»

Talks over new signings being able to rejuvenate the Arsenal squad have continued along with speculation over which players could make a difference. However, one name that continues to crop up is that of Toney as he nears a return to football this month following his FA ban for breaching of gambling regulations.

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With opinions on the deal spanning far and wide,