Arsenal could be banned from signing Ivan Toney on loan due to little-known Premier League rule

Arsenal will be barred from signing Ivan Toney on loan from Brentford in January due to a strict Premier League rule - but not all hope is lost of completing the move.

The Gunners have reportedly named Toney as one of their key striker targets for January, with manager Mikel Arteta keen to add more depth to his attacking ranks.

Goals haven't exactly been a weak point for the Gunners this term - they have 33 goals in 16 games in the Premier League - but only seven of those strikes have been from strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.

Reports suggest that interested clubs may have to pay £100 million for the 27-year-old, who is currently serving an eight-month ban from football for breaching FA betting regulations.

But he will be eligible to return to competitive action in January, and faces the dilemma of staying at Brentford or moving on to a club playing in Europe.

Arsenal face their own dilemma, with the London Evening Standard reporting that Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues were the key reason why they signed goalkeeper David Raya on loan, with an option to buy, from Brentford in the summer instead of on a permanent deal.

And it is that decision that would prevent the Gunners from completing a similar deal for Toney, as per football.london.

The Premier League clarified their rules on incoming loans in January 2023, stating: "The maximum number of loans registrable in the same season is four and, under no circumstances, shall more than one be from the same club at any one time."

As Raya and Toney are both currently signed to Brentford, only one of them is allowed to play for Arsenal on loan this season.

Therefore, the Gunners would have to sign one of the two players permanently, and potentially trigger Raya's £27 million option early in order to do the Toney deal.

If they want to sign the striker permanently, meanwhile, player sales would likely have to take place in order for the club to adhere to FFP regulations.