Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who is poised to sign a new deal with his current employers.
That is according to a report by Team Talk which states that the Bees are increasingly confident of keeping hold of their most prized asset until the summer.
Toney is yet to play this season after he was handed an eight-month ban for breaching betting regulations.
He will be available for selection again from January 17, a date which fuelled talk that he would be on his way to another club before the end of the winter window.
Chelsea have been credited with an interest in Toney, but Arsenal were thought to be at the front of the queue for his signature.
However, the aforementioned report states that the former Newcastle man is likely to put pen to paper on fresh terms at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The purported deal would contain a release clause, supposedly worth around £80m, paving the way for Toney to seek pastures new ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Toney is still keen to move to the Emirates Stadium, but he is aware that a January departure is less likely than a transfer at the end of the season.
Arsenal may prefer to wait until the summer too. Toney has not kicked a ball since May and it could take him a while to find his feet once he returns to the fold.
The fact that Brentford are now just four points clear of the relegation zone is another reason why the striker is increasingly likely to remain in west London for now.
After back-to-back defeats by West Ham and Fulham over the festive period, Arsenal now find themselves five points adrift of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
More Arsenal stories
Arsenal could be willing to let Takehiro Tomiyasu leave the club, with Napoli sniffing around.
Meanwhile the Gunners could be about to sign a highly-rated European wonderkid.
And a Manchester City star has been linked with a move to north London.
