Arsenal reportedly decided not to pursue Brentford striker Ivan Toney due to concerns raised by Mikel Arteta after meeting the player. Arteta had reservations about Toney’s potential impact on the team’s cohesion, and ultimately chose not to proceed with the signing.
Although Arsenal has been striving to close the gap with Manchester City in the Premier League title race, Arteta preferred to stick with his current squad rather than make a new signing during the summer transfer window.
There was considerable speculation about Arsenal’s interest in signing a traditional striker, especially after the team came close to winning the Premier League for the second consecutive season. While Kai Havertz showed improvement late in the season, he was primarily deployed in midfield.
Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal’s primary forward, faced injury struggles throughout the campaign and only managed to score four Premier League goals. As a result, many believed Arsenal would bring in a new striker, and Toney, who was nearing the final year of his contract with Brentford, emerged as a potential target.
However, as the transfer window progressed, it became clear that Arsenal would not pursue Toney or any other striker, instead allocating their resources to other areas of the team. According to *The Independent*, Arteta’s concerns about Toney’s personality played a key role in the decision. Arteta has been focused on building a team-oriented culture at Arsenal and felt that Toney’s character might not align with the club’s values or fit within the existing squad dynamics.
These concerns were reportedly shared by Arsenal officials during initial discussions with the player. Insider reports from *Teamnewsandtix* echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the club was not impressed with Toney’s demeanor. Furthermore, journalist Charles Watts had noted in June that Arsenal’s leadership had reservations about Toney’s attitude after meeting him.
While Toney was reportedly interested in joining a top-six Premier League club, including Arsenal, he eventually secured a move to Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. There, the striker will earn £403,000 a week, significantly higher than what he would have earned in the Premier League due to tax differences.
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