David Ornstein now says £80m striker who Tottenham want to sign could end up leaving for free
According to David Ornstein, he has been told not to rule out Ivan Toney, a Tottenham Hotspur target, finishing out his contract at Brentford.
In an interview with NBC Sports, the Athletic journalist provided an update on Ivan Toney’s future in light of Spurs interest.
After losing Harry Kane to injury over the summer, Tottenham may need to acquire a new striker during the upcoming transfer window.
On the other hand, Toney’s transfer to Tottenham is said to have piqued the curiosity of elite Premier League teams.
Spurs are among the teams eager to sign the 27-year-old in January, according to a recent report from The Times.
Due to his violation of the FA’s gambling policies, Toney is currently serving an eight-month ban. However, he is scheduled to make a comeback in mid-January, and David Ornstein has provided the most recent information regarding his plans.
Toney could leave Brentford for free
Ornstein claimed in an interview with NBC Sports that Tottenham is “worth watching” in regards to acquiring Toney.
In addition, the reporter said that the star of the Bees is more likely to depart Gtech Community Stadium in the summer of 2019 than in January.
However, the England international may remain at Brentford to complete the remainder of his deal.
Ornstein stated, “To my knowledge, there hasn’t been any movement so far, and this reported asking price of in excess of £100 million that Brentford has allegedly put on him—I don’t know of them putting an asking price on him so far—so I think we need to show a bit of calm with this.”
I believe that a significant portion of this inquiry may have been caused by the fact that he relocated agencies to CAA Base, which is notorious for closing agreements. Still, let’s follow its progress.
The speaker said that since he signed a contract in the summer of 2025, he might not move as much in January as he might in the summer. Be aware that free agency may still exist in the upcoming summer, though, as I have been told to keep an eye out for it.
“When you look at the options, Arsenal of course Financial Fair Play [FFP] problems and when they do get money, they’re going to need to spend that on David Raya.
“Chelsea do want an attacker but is he the right age and profile? I don’t think he is high on their list at the moment, contrary to reports. Manchester United – the ownership situation and the lack of clarity there.
“Tottenham is worth watching but I would say they’re doing very well as things stand and we’ll see that live against Chelsea tomorrow night.”
Toney has previously stated candidly that he wants to look for a new challenge, thus it appears that he will eventually depart Brentford.
In 33 Premier League games prior to his suspension, the striker scored an outstanding total of 20 goals.
The fact that Toney is being connected to several elite teams is not surprising, but Brentford is rumored to be asking at least £80 million for the forward.
Toney might be an exception for Spurs, who haven’t exactly established a practice of taking big risks to sign stars.
Spurs haven’t signed a suitable Kane substitute, and even with Son’s outstanding early-season play, they may need to add to this position in the upcoming transfer windows.