The ‘underrated’ Ivan Toney alternative Arsenal are monitoring

Arsenal face a battle for Toney’s signature but could yet turn to Victor Boniface, the Bayer Leverkusen striker drawing comparisons with Karim Benzema

Ivan Toney to Arsenal is the transfer rumour of the hour in north London but there is another centre-forward with a burgeoning reputation who could prove a spectacular alternative.

Toney, who scored 20 times in the Premier League last season, is due to become available for Brentford again later this month after a ban for a series of betting charges ends.

But there is an inherent risk in signing a striker who has not kicked a ball competitively for nine months, even if he has been training since September.

Instead, Arsenal are also said to be putting out feelers regarding the availability of Victor Boniface, who they hope can be persuaded to swap the pursuit of a Bundesliga title for a battle for the Premier League one.

The Nigerian striker only arrived at the club last summer for what now looks like a paltry £17.2m, given he has already scored 16 goals in 22 games across all competitions to help Bayer Leverkusen lead the Bundesliga by four points.

“He has been a massive part of Bayer Leverkusen’s surprise title challenge,” Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard tells i.

“Not only does he score goals, but he’s creative too. He’s a nightmare for defenders because he’s always moving, always trying to make something happen. He’s been way clear at the top of the Bundesliga’s shot charts all season.

“He’s so physical, but he can really play too.”

It’s no coincidence either. Growing up in Nigeria, Boniface played in midfield, and he has retained that eagerness to be involved in build-up play.

“I want to play differently, create chances and not just finish them,” Boniface said back in October.

“I like dropping back to take part in the build-up and I like pulling opposition defenders towards me and thereby creating space for my team-mates.”

That would be music to the ears of Bukayo Saka, who not only needs someone to shoulder the goal-scoring responsibilities but also the weight of opposition defenders. The England winger is the third most fouled player in the league and Arsenal have reportedly been complaining to refereeing chiefs about the treatment he has been receiving.

Alexander Silk, contributor to Neverkusen, the English language podcast for Leverkusen fans, echoes those thoughts: “He’s such a good incisive passer and his technical ability is underrated too. You can see for example in the game against Bayern how he was able to just completely twist and turn the hell out of [defender Dayot] Upamecano and he was really unlucky not to score in that game.

“He’s one of the very few players who can create a chance out of nowhere himself. There aren’t that many players that can do that. You can’t even say that game about top strikers like [Erling] Haaland or [Harry] Kane. They don’t have that X-factor. Only Karim Benzema maybe, because one of his [Boniface’s] strengths is allowing others to be strong around him.”