Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez after being warned that it will cost them around £80m to tempt Brentford into selling Ivan Toney this January, it has emerged.
Mikel Arteta is keen to add more firepower to his ranks after a sluggish start to the season, which has seen them score just eight goals from open play in six games, though they did also put four past PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League opener.
They are thought to be one of the sides keeping a close eye on Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who is free to return to Premier League action midway through January after his gambling ban and is expected to move on from the Bees.
However, the price tag is set to be high, with Thomas Frank revealing earlier in September that “He is a Brentford player now and in today’s market, everyone knows that goalscorers and attackers are the most expensive. Toney would be very expensive”.
Though Toney has made it clear that he would prefer to join the Gunners over anyone else, the £80m price tag could prove too high, and the Times report that Arsenal are already looking elsewhere.
To that end, Feyenoord striker Gimenez is one that Arteta’s side have sent scouts to watch, with the 22-year-old having scored nine times already this season in addition to his tally of 28 goals in 50 games last season.
3 – Santiago Giménez is the first @Feyenoord player ever to score a hat-trick in an Eredivisie away game at Ajax. Histórico. pic.twitter.com/elMixVsVb0
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) September 27, 2023
Eddie Nketiah would be a prime candidate, while Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson could also be options to net some quick financial fair play relief thanks to their homegrown status.
