Arsenal ‘could offer shock swap deal’ for Ivan Toney with club set to step up January transfer bid

ARSENAL are set to offer a deal to swap Eddie Nketiah for Brentford’s Ivan Toney in the January transfer window, a report claims.

Toney is being tipped to leave the Bees in the New Year once his betting ban is over.

PAIvan Toney is set to leave Brentford in January[/caption]

GettyArsenal are in line to offer Eddie Nketiah to Brentford for Toney[/caption]

The 27-year-old was found guilty of 232 betting offences in May and banned from playing football for eight months.

Brentford are willing to sell the striker but will demand at least £60m for the star who recently returned to training as his ban comes to an end.

According to the Mirror, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is eyeing a move for Toney to bolster Arsenal’s title challenge.

The report claims Arsenal are long-term admirers of Toney and may have pushed to sign him in the summer if he had not been banned.

Arteta is keen to bring in a proven goalscorer to his squad and the Englishman fits the Spaniard’s bill having scored 20 goals last term.

Arsenal already have striker options with Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus but to compete with last year’s Premier League winners Manchester City they need a prolific scorer.

The Mirror report says it remains to be seen whether Nketiah will be put in as part the deal.

The 24-year-old has promised to fight for his place in Arteta’s squad and has even been rewarded with an England call-up.

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He’s started five of Arsenal’s six Premier League games so far this season.

But Arsenal boss Arteta has already shown how ruthless he can be this season by replacing popular keeper Aaron Ramsdale with newcomer David Raya who is on loan from Brentford.

Nketiah will have to wait to discover if Arteta is willing to replace him with another Bees player.

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