Arsenal have been dealt a huge transfer blow ahead of the January transfer window as Brentford are adamant they will not sell Ivan Toney halfway through the season, according to talkSPORT.
The Bees are confident that the England international will sign a new deal amid interest from the Gunners and other bigwigs in the Premier League.
Toney is still serving an eight-month ban for gambling offences and will return to action in January.
The 27-year-old has been training with his teammates and playing in behind-closed-doors friendly matches, but the ban has not dissuaded Arsenal and co.
However, landing the former Peterborough United hitman in the winter will prove tricky as the Bees are desperate to hold on to him beyond January.
Toney bagged 21 goals in 35 games across all competitions last term after ending 2021-22 with 14 goals in 37 games.
He has proven himself in the English top-flight after notching 31 goals in 45 Championship appearances in 2020-21, and Arsenal have identified him as a player capable of improving their attack.
None of their current striking and attacking options has ever scored 20 league goals in a term, and landing the Englishman in January could make all the difference as they look to win their first Premier League title since 2004.
Brentford and the Gunners did business over Spain international goalkeeper David Raya in the summer, but they may need to wait until summer to have a realistic chance of landing Toney.
Signing a striker in January could also be tricky for Arsenal as manager Mikel Arteta has prioritised strengthening his midfield ahead of other positions following an injury to Thomas Partey.
They need to operate on a tight budget to ensure they are still within Financial Fair Play guidelines having splashed over £200 million on players during the summer transfer window, and they had to sign Raya initially on loan as a result.
