"Arteta believes he could be the missing link" - Darren Bent backs Arsenal's reported £100m pursuit of Premier League attacker

Former Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Darren Bent has backed Arsenal's reported pursuit of Brentford striker Ivan Toney. The Gunners are reportedly among a number of clubs chasing the signature of the England international ahead of the upcoming winter transfer window.

As claimed by TBR Football via The Sun, Arsenal have been closely monitoring the situation of the striker, who is currently serving a ban for violating betting regulations. As claimed by journalist Ben Jacobs from GiveMeSport, the Bees want as much as £100 million to part ways with the 27-year-old.

Former Spurs and Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has backed the Gunners' interest in Toney, claiming that he could be a source of goals for Mikel Arteta's side. He told talkSPORT, as quoted by TBR Football:

“Because Arteta just believes that he could be the missing link, maybe they are missing a few goals.”

Arsenal are currently leading the Premier League table with 30 points following a 0-1 win against Brentford on Saturday, November 25. However, they could improve significantly if they had a reliable goalscorer up front.

Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have scored only nine goals between them so far this season. Toney could prove to be a significant upgrade on the duo with his consistent goalscoring ability.

The 27-year-old has scored 68 goals and produced 21 assists in 124 outings for Brentford so far. He has been a major hit for the Bees in the Premier League with 32 goals and nine assists in 68 league games.

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Kai Havertz lauds Arsenal teammate for his role in crucial match-winning goal against Brentford

Arsenal star Kai Havertz has hailed Bukayo Saka for his wonderful assist in the Gunners' win over Brentford. Havertz scored an 89th-minute winner for Mikel Arteta's side to see them move to the top of the table.

Saka delivered a delightful cross from the right flank, dissecting the Bees' defense and Havertz did well to head it in at the far post. Havertz gave Saka credit for his wonderful cross, telling Match of the Day (via The Boot Room):

“These late winners are nice and then to celebrate in front of the fans it was a good feeling for sure. The cross was amazing and I thought maybe why not do this run and the ball was perfect and I scored.”

Arsenal are now at the top of the Premier League table with 30 points from 13 games with Manchester City and Liverpool trailing them by one and two points respectively.