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Michael Owen has warned Arsenal not to become ‘desperate’ in the transfer market and questioned whether Ivan Toney would improve the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his Arsenal squad this summer following another season in which Arsenal came close to ending their wait for a Premier League title.
The Gunners won more games than they have in any other 38-game season but even amassing 89 points was not enough to pip Manchester City to the title.
Speaking after Arsenal narrowly missed out on the title, Arteta insisted he believed his team could continue to challenge Man City, who have won four in a row and six in seven years under Pep Guardiola.
One potential area for improvement is up front, with only one Arsenal player surpassing 15 goals in the Premier League and No. 9 Gabriel Jesus enduring a difficult season.
Arsenal have been linked with moves for top-flight stars Toney, Ollie Watkins andAlexander Isak but Owen says they must ‘avoid’ becoming ‘desperate’ in this summer’s transfer window and suggested Toney could be an expensive mistake.
‘The hard thing for Arsenal, at the moment, is not to be desperate for it. It has to be the right person,’ Owen told Premier League Productions.
‘You don’t want to be wasting £70, 80 or £100 million on someone that isn’t quite there because of desperation. [Erling] Haaland became available [for Manchester City] and they said, “right, we can’t afford to miss this”.
‘Whereas, at the moment, can you get some of the players that would be good for Arsenal? Arguably… Then you look at players on that lower rung that you could get and I would avoid that.
‘Arsenal are doing fine as they are so I would avoid that, it’s only if that real top one becomes available that’s going to make the big difference.
‘Don’t be desperate. Bide your time. When you are ready to pounce, just don’t miss and go and get the best.
‘Someone like Ivan Toney at Brentford, he is going to be available this summer.
‘But do you get somebody like that when there are question marks? Is he going to be able to up his game? Has he got the class to come off and do all the things?
‘You need the personality. You need all of those things. There will be players out there that are very good and people will be telling Arsenal to get them.
‘Ivan Toney might be the answer, don’t get me wrong. All I’m saying is there will be players desperate to walk to Arsenal now and they will become available.
‘But I would bide my time and wait for the right person. If he’s not available now, but next year, then fine. But don’t waste your bullets.’
Despite his recent goal drought for Brentford, Toney was included in England’s 33-man provisional squad for Euro 2024 on Tuesday.
Three Arsenal players- Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka – will link up with England’s training group before Gareth Southgate names his final 26-man squad for this summer’s Euros.
Speaking at a press conference at St. George’s Park, Southgate revealed he did not speak to Ben White before picking the squad, after the Gunners defender asked not to be selected during the last international break.
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