ARSENAL legend Ray Parlour has urged Mikel Arteta to bring in penalty specialist Ivan Toney from Brentford in the summer.
The Bees centre-forward has impressed in his first season in the Premier League – chipping in with 11 goals in 24 games for Thomas Frank’s struggling side.
Five of his top-flight strikes have come in his last two outings in the victories over fellow relegation rivals Norwich and Burnley.
And three of those goals have come from the penalty spot – bringing up his total to six spot-kicks in all competitions this term.
Incredibly, the 26-year-old has banged in 23 out of his 24 penalties in his career, with his only miss coming for Peterborough in the 2018-19 season.
Arteta’s side have struggled from 12 yards out this campaign, finding the back of the net just three times out of the six they have been awarded.
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Former skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was the first-choice taker before he joined Barcelona in January, missed both of his this season.
Alexandre Lacazette also missed from the spot in December’s 2-0 win against West Ham, though he has scored three penalties so far.
And Gunners icon Parlour believes Arsenal should take a gamble on Toney, with the club in the market for a new centre-forward.
Arsenal could bring in two strikers with Aubameyang already gone, while Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are set to depart on free transfers.
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Speaking to The Design Museum, Parlour said: “Arsenal’s priority this summer is to sign at least one or two strikers. That is an absolute must.
“Hopefully the big powerhouses in Europe are distracted by a bidding war trying to sign [Erling] Haaland while Arsenal can quietly go about our business picking up the next best in class.
“I expect to see Haaland in a Manchester City shirt next season as his father had a successful career at the club and Pep Guardiola will be motivated to get his man after missing out on Harry Kane last summer.
“That will be bad news for the rest of the Premier League as he could be the final piece to a jigsaw that’s already winning trophies every year.
“I’d love to see Arsenal take a gamble on Ivan Toney. I think he’s had a good young striker who has enjoyed a breakthrough season in the Premier League with Brentford.
“I’d expect him to only get better as he moves towards his peak years and he’s also a nailed-on penalty taker which we don’t have now that Aubameyang has left the club.
“I’d also be interested in signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Everton because he would add a new dynamic to the forward players already at the club.
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“I think he would hold the ball up well and interchange passes with runners from midfield. He’d be a huge benefit to the likes of Saka and Smith-Rowe.
“Ivan Toney and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are realistic targets who would improve the club this summer and I’m excited to see what happens.”
Ray Parlour was speaking to the Design Museum to celebrate the launch of its new exhibition, Football: Designing the Beautiful Game, on Friday 8th April. Tickets are available to purchase from today: designmuseum.org/designingfootball