"For some reason, Arsenal didn’t want to know" - Journalist says Gunners were offered chance to sign PL forward for £55m

Football journalist Steve Kay has made a huge revelation involving Arsenal and Brentford striker Ivan Toney. The reporter revealed that the Gunners were given the chance to sign the player for £55 million earlier this year but surprisingly refused to take it.

Arsenal have been on the search for a new striker for quite some time. The Gunners were linked with a move for Ivan Toney throughout last year and it even reached a point where it looked like both parties were destined for each other.

However, despite the rumors, nothing developed between them and the striker is still plying his trade at Brentford. Many initially believed that the breakdown was a result of the player's price tag - which was rumored to be around £100 million - but it now appears that isn't true.

Shedding light on the situation, Steve Kay has revealed that Brentford never demanded £100 million from Arsenal. The football journalist further claimed that the Premier League side offered the Gunners the striker for £55 million but they chose to look away.

“There’s not a bidding war. He was never a £100m player. That was a joke. Nobody was ever going to pay that,” Kay said on KS1 TV. "I think they made a mistake doing that. I know for a fact that in January they offered him to Arsenal for £55m, but for some reason, Arsenal didn’t want to know. I was told they weren’t that bothered in him, not even at £55m."

After missing the first half of last season through suspension, Ivan Toney still returned in style in the second half to help Brentford. He bagged four goals and as many assists for the club in 17 Premier League games.

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What is next for Arsenal and Ivan Toney?

Following a decent preseason campaign that saw them beat the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, and Lyon, Mikel Arteta's men will now switch their focus to the Premier League which returns this weekend.

The Gunners are scheduled to take on Wolves in this opening game at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 17. Following that, they'll lock horns with Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Tottenham Hotspur in their next three games.

Meanwhile, Ivan Toney will need to make a decision over his future this summer. The striker could leave if he gets candid suitors before the closure of the transfer window; otherwise, he'd have to continue with Brentford for another six months at least.