Ivan Toney returns to Saudi Arabia and Al-Ahli training following arrest in London over alleged headbutt
England international Ivan Toney has returned to Saudi Arabia and training with club side Al-Ahli after being arrested in London over an alleged headbutt in a nightclub. The striker was spotted being led away in handcuffs by police following a brawl in the English capital. However, he has now returned to work with the Saudi Pro League side ahead of a fixture on Friday against Damac.
Toney arrested in London nightclub
Toney found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after being arrested after an alleged headbutt on a recent visit back to London. The former Brentford striker, who joined Al-Ahli in the summer of 2024, reportedly became involved in an ugly incident when a fan grabbed the England star and asked for a selfie. The alleged victim was left bloodied, with the police responding quickly and taking Toney away in handcuffs. The striker was arrested on suspicion of two counts of assault and one count of affray, as reported by .
A statement from the Metropolitan Police stated: "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. 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 inquiries continue."
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Toney is now back in the Middle East and has been pictured hard at work with his club side. Al-Ahli have shown off pictures from their training session, with Toney sporting an oxygen mask as he was put through his paces with the Saudi club. "Breath by breath… we level up," is the caption added by Al-Ahli.
Toney plays a 'different game' in Saudi Arabia
Toney has previously talked about how difficult it has been to adjust to playing football in the intense heat in Saudi Arabia following his move and has insisted he has no interest in criticism of his decision to head to the Middle East. He told : "Those that know me, know that I do what I want to do. If there is something I want to go for, to try, then I will do it. If people want to talk, they can talk. It doesn't hurt me, doesn't bother me, I just concentrate on myself. I do what makes me happy.
"The weather played a massive part. Somebody should go and try to play in a sauna and see if they can cope. You have to play a different game with different tactics and it is something you adapt to. There are different blocks of 20 minutes where it is intense and then it has to slow down and pick up again."
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AFPToney not giving up on World Cup dream
Toney finished last season behind only Cristiano Ronaldo on the list of top scorers in the Saudi Pro League and has bagged five in eight games so far in 2025-26. There has been talk he could still sneak his way into Thomas Tuchel's squad for World Cup 2026 even though his last appearance for the Three Lions came against Senegal in a friendly in June. Yet Toney has insisted he hasn't given up hope of an international recall and told in September: "I have to concentrate on myself and give myself the best chance possible, and who knows? If I am selected, I will do my best for my country but if not, I’ll be cheering the boys on."
"I don’t expect to have a conversation with him [Thomas Tuchel]. I am sure he has other things to be concentrating on. My job is to do well. It is what it is. If you are good enough, you are good enough; it doesn’t matter where you are playing in the world. As long as you are doing the right things and scoring goals, then you give yourself a chance."