Ivan Toney Arrested in London on Alleged Assault, Is His Career Threatened?

The alleged assault incident involving Ivan Toney began when a fan approached him for a photo.

According to eyewitness accounts, Toney was walking past a group of men at a table when one of them recognized him.

A witness out for a drink with his girlfriend told The Sun: “He walked past a table of a group of lads.

The man then tried to put his arm around Toney's neck for a photo, prompting a reaction from the England national team player.

“One of them recognised him and said, ‘Oh, it’s Ivan Toney’ and tried to put his hands around his neck to get a photo with him.

“And then Toney has said, ‘Get off me, get off me’ and ended up headbutting one of the guys.”

The alleged assault victim reportedly suffered serious injuries as a result of the incident, suffered a broken nose and a broken ring finger, with blood visible at the scene.

A local bartender said police returned to the area the following day to ask people further questions.

London Ambulance Service confirmed it sent an ambulance and a paramedic at 1.57am to reports of an alleged assault .

A spokesman added: “We assessed three people. We took one patient to a local hospital and discharged the other patients at the scene.”

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they received a report of an assault on Wardour Street at 12:47 a.m. on Saturday.

“We were called to Wardour Street at 00:47hrs on Saturday following reports of an assault. The victim was taken to hospital and his injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening."

The report led to the arrest of Ivan Toney, who was 29 at the time.

Toney was arrested on suspicion of two counts of assault and one count of affray.

Following his arrest, he was released on bail pending further investigation by the authorities.

Although he has been released on bail, the ongoing legal process will continue to be a focus of public attention and that of his club.

At the time of his arrest, Ivan Toney was playing for Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.

He joined Al Ahli in the summer of 2024 from Brentford for a transfer fee of £40 million.

This season, Toney has impressed, scoring 12 goals in 18 appearances for Al Ahli.

Toney switched to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and in his debut season helped them win the AFC Champions League Elite title for the first time.

His impressive performances have led to renewed links with a move to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur being mentioned as a leading candidate.

In fact, Ivan Toney is reportedly willing to take a significant pay cut to return to the Premier League.

However, this arrest could potentially impact transfer speculation and his future in professional football.

Before the recent arrest, Ivan Toney had a history of legal issues related to violations of FA betting rules.

On November 16, 2022, the FA charged Toney with 232 breaches of betting regulations and this charge was later increased to 30 additional breaches on December 20, 2022.

Toney admitted 232 of the charges, and the remaining 30 were withdrawn.

• The suspension is effective until January 16, 2024, and includes a £50,000 fine.
• The Regulatory Commission reduced the 11-month ban to eight months after Toney was diagnosed with a gambling addiction.
• Although he had previously bet on his own team to lose, the commission confirmed that his case did not constitute match-fixing.