Rio Ferdinand warns Ivan Toney about his ego if he’s to join Arsenal
It’s no secret that Ivan Toney is on the radar of Arsenal this summer and having Gabriel Jesus out for a lot of the season due to injury only solidates that interest. Toney could be the perfect pick up for Arsenal as he’s a born goal scorer and is already Premier League proven but he does come with a bit of baggage. Not only has he just come back from a lengthy eight month ban due to a betting charge, he also is a very outspoken player who doesn’t usually hold back.
Brentford’s manager Thomas Frank recently came out in an interview and said that Toney would be likely to leave Brentford in the summer after a lot of interest has emerged in the media recently but also said that Brentford hadn’t received any offers for him in the January transfer window.
Toney then bit back “jokingly” saying that the Brentford manager “doesn’t want me” saying “I see that as he doesn’t want me! The manager has said what he’s said, but I can’t make clubs come and get me. I’ve just got to keep doing what I do, and that’s score goals. What will be will be”. Obviously striking a nerve from the 27-year-old Englishmen, and Rio Ferdinand has said he think’s he said it in jest.
The Manchester United legend speaking on Toney moving to Arsenal in his latest episode of Vibe With Five on YouTube and warned the Brentford striker that if he was to join the Gunners he might have to watch what he says and control his ego if he wants to thrive in London.
Rio said this when talking about Toney’s possible move to Arsenal “I don’t think he would move like that. I would be surprised. Remember he has never played for a big club. He’s going to go there, and he will have to be respectful and know where he is in the pecking order”.
“There’s some big players in there. Do you think he is going to come with that chat about Mikel Arteta when you have Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus?”.
And personally, I don’t think he would come into Arsenal and assume he would be the top player when he’ surrounded by such big talents. He’s a great striker but as Rio said, he’s never played at a club like Arsenal before and I think he would quickly learn his place.
At Brentford right now, he’s the big man and he’s one of their best players. He produces a lot of their goals and even after being out for eight months he’s come back looking at his best, scoring 3 goals already since his return, so you can imagine when he’s sitting in Brentford he does feel like the big man and the best player but if he does end up joining Arsenal in the summer, he will have to drop that ego.
Obviously, anything can happen when it comes to football, and we might not even end up with Toney, but it does leave me to wonder if he comes with a bit too much baggage and if it’s a smart move. Brentford will want a pretty penny for the striker, and we might be able to find more quality elsewhere.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
THE HAMMERS GOT HAMMERED! Watch the latest podcast from our friends at Dublin Arsenal after our demolition of West Ham….
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
To be honest, I’ve never ever rooted for The Arsenal to sign a striker cos I’m not really sure we need one. Even though many fans and pundits have been clamouring for one, I’ve never joined that bandwagon. NEVER
Even if we were to get one, I am totally against signing Tony. He always shows disrespect towards Brentford at any given opportunity and I honestly don’t want that at The Arsenal.
I dont agree that we dont need a striker. But I also have misgivings about Toneys character.
As a lifelong very close observer of how various humans and esp football players speak when interviewed, I am also inclined to agree that his “humbleness” does not exist.
Esp when contrasted with the entirely natural and VITALLY IMPORTANT humbleness of Saka and Rice and others in our present squad.
We’ve got goals spread around the team. That makes us more unpredictable than having an out and out striker. If our forward players – Martinelli, Saka, Ødegaard, Jesus and Havertz can consistently score every other game, we won’t even know we don’t have a striker. That’s why we’ve been able to accommodate Havertz even though he’s been a passenger for majority of the season
dgr8xt, but those five DONT, in reality, score one every two games . Do they!
IF they did and regularly, then you would have a good point. But your proposal does not hold water. Which is one among other reasons too, WHY we DO need a top level striker.
Ego, there was no bigger ego than the magnificent Ian wright. So it really isn’t a bad thing if he becomes half the player Wright was.
I still however don’t think he is the right player for Arsenal. We need a bigger more aggressive center forward in the vain of Drogba, Ibrahimovic, Haaland or Osimhen of Napoli. More size and aggression. The only exception to that rule would be the very fast and skillful Mbappe. Arsenal need to aim higher than Toney with Forwards in the vain of my pre mentioned greats.
daveg, no chance of Arsenal going for a world class striker at the price we’d have to pay. Toney is strong and aggressive and would most likely be a success, but I don’t like the fellow.
I must say, recent events surrounding Toney have made me more skeptical about his fit for us!
Luuk De Jong at PSV might be worth looking at.
PSV are top in the Eredivise and he has scored 18 goals so far this season, and I hear he doesn’t bet on games.
Just a possible alternative to Toney
He is 33
When he was last in the or premier league he played 12 games for Newcastle and did not score once
A ringing endorsement
In my opinion we DO need a striker, someone who can consistently finish in that position.
I don’t buy the “unpredictable” narrative some pass around; why do teams double team Martinelli and Saka if we are “unpredictable?”
Add a finisher up front and we would be more dangerous, more unpredictable, with all 3 attackers being goal threats.
Sorry but I don’t believe that adding a clinical striker hurts us in any way, or lessens our attacking prowess.
Toney would not be my first choice, or even in the top 3 with the price being thrown around. A clinical finisher would improve us, it does not require spending 100 million or more.
If he was the real deal then I could not care about his ego but he does not look like a top notch striker.
dgr8xt
Am in agreement with you on this striker issue and have never joined that bandwagon.
Buying a striker in January would be a major distraction, surely he would not have guaranteed those six goals on Sunday.
What we need in my opinion is another powerful midfielder to ease the work load and rotate with Rice
Toney at 25 to 30 mil, would be a no brainer. But, he is not worth anymore and we need a better player, that can compete at the highest level. Toney, is not the answer.