Arsenal face wait for Brentford striker Ivan Toney as Bayern Munich target Takehiro Tomiyasu – Paper Round

Brentford are unlikely to sell Arsenal target Ivan Toney as they face a goalscoring shortage in the second half of the season.

The paper reports: “Telegraph Sport understands, however, that a January transfer is far from likely. It is also understood that, if Toney is to make a move in the winter window, it will almost certainly not be to Arsenal.

“Why? The first reason is that Brentford have no intention of selling their star striker midway through the campaign. Thomas Frank is planning for Toney to lead his attack in the second half of the season and, along with his coaches, is working to create ‘Ivan Toney version 2.0’.

“Brentford’s need for Toney is made greater by the likely loss of strikers Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa to the Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from mid-January to mid-February. Between them, those two players have scored nine of their side’s 19 league goals this season.

“Brentford would have been open to selling Toney at the end of last season, but then he was slapped with an eight-month ban from the game. There have been no talks of a new contract and so, with his deal running out, next summer’s transfer window will likely be the club’s last chance to sell him for a significant fee.”

The Sun reports that Manchester City playmaker Bernardo Silva hopes to return to Benfica later in his career.

He has signed a new contract to stay at the Etihad after turning down a move to Saudi Arabia, but instead is looking back to his boyhood club.

“But in the end he decided to stay and sign a new deal with Manchester City – as he wants more Champions League glory.

“Bernardo said: ‘It would be a lie to say I didn’t think about it.

“‘But I want to play in the Champions League semi-finals, score against Real Madrid, win the Champions League, I don’t want to give up on that.’

“Silva has made no secret of his desire to return to mainland Europe.

“During this international break, he also revealed he would love to return to his boyhood club, saying: ‘I want to return to Benfica. If the club wants me at the time, obviously things will happen.’”

They think the Arsenal defender is an easier target than Thomas Tuchel’s first choice, Manchester United central defender Raphael Varane.

“Arsenal are set to open contract talks with Takehiro Tomiyasu amid transfer interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich,” the outlet writes.

“Bayern are after a new defender after a slow start to the season. Although Harry Kane has scored 21 goals since his summer transfer from Tottenham, Thomas Tuchel’s side are out of the German Cup and two points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

“Tuchel was keen on Raphael Varane. The 30-year-old has slipped behind Harry Maguire in the pecking order at Manchester United and could be available for as little as €20 million (£17.4m). Yet Varane’s hefty salary is thought to have forced Bayern to look elsewhere.

“It’s believed the Germans have now identified versatile star Tomiyasu, 25, as a more realistic transfer target. The Japan international has done well since joining Arsenal from Italian side Bologna in August 2021, despite suffering a few muscle injuries and undergoing knee surgery.”

Juventus are interested in Bologna midfielder Lewis Ferguson, who is continuing to impress in Serie A after his move from Aberdeen.

The 24-year-old’s move could see his former SPL side earn a £2 million payout after inserting a sell-on clause when they sold him on.

“Long-standing admirers of the midfielder, the Turin giants are now said to be willing to table a £17.5m offer to take the player in the next transfer window.

“The 24-year-old former Dons and Hamilton star has been a runaway success in Serie A since switching from the Granite City in 2022.

“Previously linked with a move to Rangers, the club where his father Derek and uncle Barry played, Ferguson was snapped up for just £3m.

“And his steady improvement at Bologna means Juventus are now willing to fend off interest from other major clubs, including AC Milan and Lazio, to land the 10-times capped star.“