Tottenham Hotspur are ready to step up their pursuit of Brentford forward Ivan Toney.
Ange Postecoglou wants to add a number nine to his ranks in the summer transfer window, with the North Londoners having failed to replace Harry Kane with a like-for-like option last summer.
Son Heung-min and Richarlison have shared duties at centre-forward for much of the campaign but the latter has been linked with an exit, despite an improved second season that saw the Brazil international score 11 goals in the Premier League.
ESPN are reporting that Tottenham are targeting Toney, who was named in the provisional England squad for Euro 2024 on Tuesday. The 28-year-old will enter the final season of his contract at Brentford in the summer and has made clear his desire for a new challenge, with Toney keen to sign for a club competing in European competition.
Toney has 36 goals and 11 assists in 83 top-flight appearances since Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League and could be available for a fee of around £40m. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have each tracked his progress with the Bees but are focused on other options, while West Ham’s hopes of signing Toney appear slim after missing out on continental competition.
The forward missed the opening months of the campaign after an eight-month ban for breaching gambling rules, though scored 20 league goals in 2022/23, behind only Erling Haaland and Kane in the Premier League.
Postecoglou is preparing for a shake-up of his squad after a disappointing conclusion to the campaign saw Spurs miss out on Champions League football.
There are expected to be significant sales at Spurs, with Fraser Forster, Giovani Lo Celso, Bryan Gil, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Tanguy Ndombele, Ben Davies, Ryan Sessegnon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Emerson Royal all likely to depart.
