Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have shown beyond belief now that they are legit and here to stay. The Gunners have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League and are in the Premier League title race again.
Bukayo Saka is firmly in the world-class bracket now, Eddie Nketiah is back from the fringes to become a regular contributor, Odegaard is Captain Fantastic, and the defence is humming too. However, among all the positives, there is a clear position of need in the squad, which is the focal point. As stated above, Nketiah has done well, with five goals in the league in 832 minutes, but unlike other contenders, like Liverpool and Manchester City, Arsenal lack a focal point.
Gabriel Jesus arrived with a lot of excitement and started well, but injury worries and inconsistent form have relegated him to an impact role only.
Noting this, Arsenal should be in the market for a focal point and two names have cropped up the most – Dominic Solanke of Bournemouth and Brentford‘s Ivan Toney.
So, who is the better option? Let’s take a look by comparing some parameters:
Player quality
If one were to look at just goals scored by a striker, then Solanke vs Toney wouldn’t be a debate. However, in the modern game, the striker is not just a goalscorer, and that’s where Solanke starts to minimise the gap with Toney.
While Toney has a bonafide 20-goal season to his name in the Premier League, this might well be the season Solanke breaches that mark too. He already has eight goals in 16 appearances and under Andoni Iraola, is playing some of the best football of his life.
Combine that with 15 and 29-goal seasons in the Championship before promotion, and it’s clear that it’s not an unsustainable purple patch. We’re seeing the ascent to stardom for a prodigy who was tipped to be great a long time ago.
Furthermore, Toney’s ban from football means it’s not clear what version of the striker will return. Therefore, when looking at all these parameters, it is quite clear that one is an ascending force while the other is a gamble who might have had his best season in the Premier League already.
Winner: Solanke
Tactical fit
Being a striker in today’s game is difficult, being one for Arsenal is even more challenging. Mikel Arteta has clearly defined demands from each position in the team. For a striker, being able to link up the play, and bring in wide forwards like Saka and Martinelli into the game is a big one.
Most importantly, having the ability to press from the front intelligently by cutting off passing angles to force high turnovers is a crucial trait.
Both Dominic Solanke and Ivan Toney fit this demand, although they have one distinct trait which swings the debate in favour of that player.
Toney is a huge aerial threat, with his physical game extremely polished which makes it possible for him to excel playing with his back to goal. He would be a good focal point for Arsenal and bring other players into the game. However, the problem starts with his link-up skills.
The Brentford man’s technical and on-ball skills are appreciable, but limited. Furthermore, he is more of a conventional “between the posts” striker.
Solanke, on the other hand, is developing into an extremely efficient pressing forward who is a goal threat as well. This distinction in on-ball ability is clearest in their progressive carries and take-ons stat.
Toney is in the 12th and 19th percentile respectively in those stats, indicative of a player who likes to be at the end of a move rather than the one who orchestrated it.
Meanwhile, Solanke’s penchant for getting involved in the buildup is clear. He ranks in the 79th and 80th percentile for those parameters.
A lack of goals at the elite level was the one major differentiator between these two but Solanke looks to have cracked that as well. Therefore, for Arsenal’s tactical style, Dominic Solanke over Ivan Toney is a no-brainer.
Winner: Solanke
Finances
Brentford will reportedly demand £100 million for a player who is out of contract in 2025 and hasn’t played football in a long while. Solanke won’t come cheap either but as stated above, he’s an ever-improving prospect while Toney’s progress has been stalled completely.
If a club had to spend a fortune on a striker, they’d rather do it on a player on the up. Neither will be cheap, but the potential for a good return on investment is higher for Dominic Solanke than it is for Toney.
Winner: Solanke
Conclusion
Taking all factors into account, it is clear that Solanke is a better option for Arsenal. If the debate was surrounding a club like Manchester United, then Ivan Toney would be a better option, since they need a clinical goalscorer first and foremost in the absence of a working system.
However, Arsenal have a humming machinery and they need a cog in it that makes it even better. Dominic Solanke is the best type of “plug-and-play” striker who will make others around him better while elevating his own game when surrounded by better players.
Eyebrows were raised when Bournemouth paid nearly £18 million to Liverpool for his services as an unproven prospect. A few years on, he is finally making good on his potential. That £18 million might end up looking like a bargain in the long-term.
Final choice: Dominic Solanke