Mikel Arteta makes ambitious £100m claim as Arsenal set January transfer priority
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has opened up on the evolving nature of transfer fees ahead of the January window. The north Londoners spent heavily over the summer, splashing in excess of £200million to recruit Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber to the club on a permanent basis.
David Raya was also signed on loan with an option to buy. But that hasn't stopped speculation for more incomings, with a number of top-class strikers mooted as potential targets for Sporting Director Edu.
Brentford frontman Ivan Toney is one name that has consistently been mentioned, with recent reports claiming that the Bees could demand as much as £100million for the 27-year-old. When asked if he finds these kinds of sums crazy, Arteta said: «There has been an evolution.
»We have gone from 10s to 20s to 80s to 100s and there are players who have cost £200million. It’s not that we are getting used to it but it is something that is happening more and more often.
«On other players, other clubs, no comment on that.» The Spaniard has the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz as potential options at centre-forward, although Jesus is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Gunners will dip into the transfer market in the New Year, with The Athletic's David Ornstein recently admitting that he envisages Arsenal's next major incoming to be a forward. When asked if he sees the north London outfit dipping into the market in January to bring in a new midfielder amid Kai Havertz's ongoing struggles, Ornstein replied, via The Athletic: «No.
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