We 'signed' Ivan Toney for Arsenal in January transfer window and this is what happened

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney over the last few months, but what could happen if he actually signed for the Gunners?

As Arsenal look to battle it out for the Premier League title, extra firepower may be needed in attack, with neither Gabriel Jesus nor Gabriel Martinelli managing more than three Premier League goals so far this season. Toney scored an impressive 20 goals in the league for Brentford last season, and with the January transfer window now open, the 27-year-old isn't short of suitors.

After being found guilty of breaking the FA's betting rules in May, Ivan Toney has been serving an eight-month ban from football, with the striker set to return to action on January 17. Without their talisman, Brentford have struggled so far this season, and with fears of relegation, the Bees have reportedly slapped a £100million price tag on the striker.

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So, if Arsenal signed Toney, how could he perform? We simulated the rest of the season to find out.

To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to move Toney to Arsenal in the January transfer window before simulating the rest of the 2023/24 season. After returning from suspension on January 17, 2024, this is how the Englishman performed.

On his arrival, Toney wasn't thrown into the starting XI from the go, with Arteta using the striker as an impact sub for his first eight games. After hitting the ground running, Arteta switched up his formation to fit Toney, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all in the starting XI, where the striker continued to impress.

In four starts and 13 appearances off the bench, Toney grabbed six goals, the fifth-best return in the Arsenal squad. He also managed an average rating