Jon Toral

Jon Miquel Toral Harper (born 5 February 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Greek Super League club OFI.

A product of the Barcelona and Arsenal academies, Toral spent the 2014–15 season on loan to Championship club Brentford, the following season on loan to Birmingham City, also of the Championship, the first half of the 2016–17 season at La Liga club Granada and the second half at Rangers of the Scottish Premiership. He left Arsenal for Hull City in August 2017, before spending the 2020–21 season back with Birmingham City.

Club Career

Barcelona

Toral was born in Reus, in the Province of Tarragona, Catalonia. He began playing football as a child with his local club, UE Barri Santes Creus, and signed for Barcelona in 2003, after being discovered by youth football coordinator Albert Puig. At Barcelona, Toral quickly forged a midfield partnership with Sergi Samper. The pair would play together for eight years and were referred to as the "Samper & Toral Limited Company" in the Spanish media. Toral was a part of the under-15 team which won the 2009–10 Manchester United Premier Cup. He departed Barca in the summer of 2011.

Arsenal

Toral caught the attention of Premier League club Arsenal while playing in England at the Manchester United Premier Cup in 2010. Along with Barcelona youth teammate Hector Bellerin, he signed for the Gunners in the summer of 2011 for a fee reported as around £300,000; Barcelona president Sandro Rosell described the deal as "a little immoral". Toral began his career at Arsenal out injured with a damaged meniscus of his right knee, suffered in his final appearance for Barcelona in May 2011. After recovering, Toral made his debut for the reserves in a 2–0 Premier Reserve League defeat to Aston Villa on 30 November 2011, but was injured again in January 2012. Toral appeared for Arsenal in the 2012–13 NextGen Series and the 2013–14 UEFA Youth League, scoring two goals in