Ian Wright identifies star who would be the ‘final piece of the jigsaw’ in Arsenal title pursuit

Former Arsenal and England icon Ian Wright has picked out the player who he believes would be the perfect addition to end the North London club’s long wait for a Premier League title. Wright led the line for Arsenal for seven years between 1991 and 1998 and won the Premier League and FA Cup double in his final season with the club.

Arsene Wenger’s men went on to lift a further two titles in 2002 and 2004 but it has now been 20 seasons since the club last lifted a top-flight title. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have taken huge strides to get back into the title race, according to Wright. Who adds that the victory over Man City will give his team a huge psychological boost after last season’s close-fought battle.

Speaking on the Stick To Football podcast, the two-time FA Cup winner said: “We spread goals out last season and it took us to a certain place. I think with Toney the links won’t go away as it’s blatantly obvious to see, that focal point, that player, that takes you somewhere else.”

Wright praised Arsenal’s existing strikers Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Kai Havertz, who have scored a combined four goals in the league. But states Toney is the key to winning the division. He added: “You can’t question the endeavour of Eddie or Gabriel but you look back at the Tottenham game with the Jesus chance. For a player of that calibre to be in that position 1-0, those chances have to be buried.

“The margins are so small now you can’t afford to be missing chances like that and not winning games. The work off the ball is fantastic for both players. The Toney links don’t go away for me, that is the last piece of the jigsaw. He’ll do it if it can be done.”

Earlier reports from The Times state that Arsenal are the frontrunners to sign the forward who is available for an estimated figure of £80m. Toney claimed he was a fan of Arsenal’s style of play during an interview on Diary Of Ceo which fuelled links earlier in the summer.

The forward spoke openly about his desire to make Gareth Southgate’s England team after the heartbreak of missing out on the World Cup squad and he will return to club football in January 2024 at the end of his betting suspension.