Suspended Brentford striker Ivan Toney's recent remarks suggest he's angling for an Arsenal transfer - despite the fact he mocked the club not too long ago.
Toney received an eight-month ban from football back in May after admitting 232 breaches of the Football Association's betting rules. As a result, he is unable to appear for the Bees until January 16, 2024, at the earliest. Three months down the line, Toney has conducted a tell-all interview with YouTube channel Diary of a CEO, in which he makes some interesting comments about the Gunners.
It has previously been reported that Toney was a boyhood Arsenal fan, but he has put an end to that myth by confessing he supports Liverpool, though he does still harbour some affection for the red half of north London. Asked if he had been a Liverpool supporter his whole life, Toney replied: "Yeah, I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life but from young, I've liked Arsenal. I've liked watching Arsenal. I like how they play and kind of how passionate the fans are."
The comments have gone well with large sections of the Emirates faithful online and Arsenal have previously been linked with a move for Toney before eventually opting to sign Gabriel Jesus. However, it remains unclear on whether manager Mikel Arteta would be on board with the idea, given his previous with Toney.
Though the two have never had any sort of bust-up in person, it is fair to say Arteta did not take kindly to some of Toney's social media activity. At the start of the 2021/22 season, after Brentford's opening night victory over Arsenal, Toney took to Twitter to write: "Nice kick about with the boys."
Later that season, Arsenal met the Bees again for the return league fixture at the Emirates. It just so happened that the Amazon cameras had behind-the-scenes access to the Gunners this season and fans were able to see Arteta address Toney's tweet in the dressing room before the second clash between the two teams.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Toney trying to angle for a move to Arsenal with his latest remarks? Comment below
Image:
Amazon Prime)"Before I go, because it's still in my stomach, and I have managed to keep it in my stomach for six months," Arteta explained. "This is Toney's tweet after the game when we played them at Brentford.
"You know what he did, you know his tweet? 'Nice kickabout with the boys'. So, today they play in our house guys, and there is only one team on that f****** pitch. Only team, they don't play, we take the f****** ball, we take the game and we go for it. Let's win this f****** game let's go."
Toney's comments smack of a player keen on testing the waters in regards to a potential transfer and it is not the first time he has dropped hints over a Brentford exit. In 2021, he told Total Media: "I support Liverpool, I'm a Liverpool fan. If they come knocking, who knows." Given Arteta's dressing room rant two years ago, it is unlikely that Arsenal come knocking anytime soon.
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
