Tottenham could address their lack of attacking power with a move for Ivan Toney in January.
That’s the view of The Pitch Prospect’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook, who believes Spurs boss Thomas Frank should make a spectacular appearance to be reunited with his former Brentford star.
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Toney has not played in England since leaving the Bees in 2024, when he moved to Saudi Pro League team Al Ahli.
The 29-year-old has scored 40 goals in 58 games for his current side, helping them win this year’s AFC Champions League.
And although he has spoken openly about how much he enjoys life in the Middle East, a move back to the Premier League would likely boost his hopes of making England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel could overlook Toney in favor of those playing in Europe’s top leagues.
The striker would be an attractive candidate for numerous English teams, having impressed at Brentford with 36 goals in 83 top-flight games.
As all of these goals were scored under current Tottenham manager Frank, this has led to speculation that Toney could move to north London should he return to England.
“I keep coming back to Ivan Toney”
Crook believes the striker is exactly what Spurs need, who have struggled to score goals from their attacking players.
Main striker Dominic Solanke has been out since August with an ankle injury, while new signing Randal Kolo Muani is yet to score and Mathys Tel has scored just once in seven league games.
Discussing Tottenham’s striker options on The Pitch Prospect, Crook said: “I think Tottenham are easy to play up front.
“Obviously Dominic Solanke’s ongoing injury problems were a problem for Thomas Frank.
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“I wasn’t convinced by Mathys Tel last season – I wasn’t quite sure why Spurs made the move permanent.
“I would probably put Kolo Muani in a similar category at the moment.”
It was at this point that Crook suggested Toney as a solution to Spurs’ problems, although he admitted the logistics of a deal might not be easy.
He is reportedly earning a staggering £400,000 a week tax-free in Saudi Arabia following his £40million transfer.
Crook continued: “I keep coming back to Ivan Toney for Tottenham. Look at what he did with Thomas Frank at Brentford.
“I think he would like to return to the Premier League, obviously it could be a difficult deal financially, but for Spurs it just seems like a perfect fit for me, either in January or next summer.”
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What did Thomas Frank say about Ivan Toney?
Frank appeared to have left the door open for a reunion with Toney at Tottenham when he spoke about him at a Spurs fan forum in early October.
The Dane was asked about the prospect of signing both Toney and his England teammate and former Spurs hero Harry Kane.
Of the pair, he said: “Let’s put it this way: they are both two very, very good players. Harry Kane is a legend.”
“I said in the press conference the other day that if he wants to come back, he is very welcome.
“Of course, Ivan Toney, who I coached for a few years, a top player, a top guy, a very good striker, so let’s see what happens in the future.”