“It’s time”: Ivan Toney drops Arsenal transfer hint as Brentford striker breaks silence on betting suspension

Ivan Toney is preparing for a major comeback on the football pitch. The Brentford striker has not played since mid-May, when he was sentenced to an eight-month suspension for gambling offenses.

Toney pleaded guilty to 232 charges of gambling offenses and was subsequently suspended by the FA. The suspension expires this month and the striker hopes to return on January 20 for the Bees’ match against Nottingham Forest.

However, the ban has not stopped the talk about him, especially about where he will play football when he returns. Toney was the Premier League’s third top scorer last season, behind Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.

Brentford are well aware that they will face serious competition to keep him at the Gtech Community Stadium after the end of this season, which is why they have put a £100 million price tag on his shoulders.

A number of teams have been linked with a January transfer, with Arsenal and Chelsea both in need of a prolific striker.

Arsenal’s problems were no more apparent than in the FA Cup third round against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Gunners had 18 shots, five on target, Liverpool had 12 and three on target, but lost 2-0.

Toney is the striker everyone is talking about, but in his first post-suspension interview with Sky Sports and our friends at the Mirror, he hinted that there will be no transfer this month.

He said: “Toney decided at the last minute to return to Slovenia in the future. I can’t thank them enough, especially the fans. They also supported me from the first minute. So I have a lot to give back.”

The fact that Toney has a lot to give back means he will stay in west London until the end of the season. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.