London, December 9, 2025 – England striker Ivan Toney was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning after an alleged violent altercation at a fashionable Soho nightclub. The 29-year-old Al-Ahli forward was led away in handcuffs from 100 Wardour Street after reportedly headbutting a fan who had approached him for a selfie, leaving the man with a broken nose and blood pouring from his face.
Eyewitnesses described how the incident unfolded shortly after midnight on December 6. Toney, in London during a short break from his Saudi Pro League commitments, was passing a table of young men when one recognised him and shouted, “Oh, it’s Ivan Toney!” The fan then allegedly threw an arm around the striker’s neck to take a photo. Toney reacted instantly, pushing the man away and shouting, “Get off me, get off me!” before delivering a forceful headbutt to the bridge of the victim’s nose.
The injured man was left with blood streaming down his face and later required hospital treatment for a broken nose and a fractured ring finger. Some witnesses suggested Toney may have felt threatened, noting he was wearing expensive jewellery including a diamond-encrusted watch and heavy chains. “He’s earning half a million a week in Saudi. Maybe he thought the guy was trying to grab his stuff,” one onlooker remarked.
Metropolitan Police were called to Wardour Street at 00:47 hrs. Officers arrived to find the situation contained but immediately approached Toney’s table, confirmed his identity, and arrested him on suspicion of two counts of assault and one count of affray. Dramatic footage showed the England international being escorted from the venue in handcuffs as police cars blocked the street. London Ambulance Service attended at 1:57 a.m.; three people were assessed and the main victim was taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening and non-life-changing.
A police spokesperson later confirmed: “A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of two counts of assault and one count of affray. He has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.” Detectives returned to the bar on Sunday to take further statements and examine CCTV footage.
Toney’s representatives have declined to comment publicly, though sources close to the player insist he acted in self-defence after an unwanted and physical intrusion.
The arrest is the latest off-field controversy for a player whose career has been a mix of brilliance and turbulence. In 2023 he served an eight-month FA ban for breaching betting rules, a punishment that cost him most of Brentford’s Premier League season. He returned strongly, however, scoring crucial goals and earning a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad, where he converted a vital penalty in the quarter-final shootout against Switzerland.
Born in Northampton, Toney made his professional debut at 16 for Northampton Town, the club’s youngest-ever player. After loans across the Football League, he joined Brentford in 2020 for an initial £5 million and became one of the most prolific strikers outside the top flight, firing the Bees to Premier League promotion in 2021. His physical presence, aerial ability and ice-cold penalty taking made him a standout, attracting interest from Arsenal and Chelsea before the betting scandal cooled the market.
In August 2024 he completed a £40 million move to Saudi giants Al-Ahli on a four-year contract reportedly worth £500,000 a week tax-free. Playing alongside Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino, he has continued to score freely, helping the Jeddah club challenge for honours in both the domestic league and the AFC Champions League.
The incident has divided opinion. Former Brentford manager Thomas Frank called Toney “a legend” but urged caution, while pundits and fans on social media have been split between those condemning the violence and others arguing that celebrities have a right to personal space when approached aggressively. With England now under new manager Thomas Tuchel and 2026 World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, the arrest raises fresh questions about Toney’s international future.
As he remains on police bail, the football world awaits the outcome of the investigation. What began as a night out in Soho has quickly become one of the most talked-about incidents of the Premier League off-season.
