Tottenham Hotspur Manager Anze Postecoglou Admits​ Interest in Ivan Toni

Tottenham Hotspur manager Anze Postecoglou has revealed ⁢that the club considered ⁤recruiting ‍Ivan Toni during last summer’s transfer market.⁢ According to British media outlet Goal.com, Postecoglou admitted that he⁤ was⁣ interested in Toni before signing Dominic Solanke.

Ivan ⁣Toni is a talented English striker who rose to prominence after joining Brentford in the ⁣2020-21 season. He led the team⁤ to promotion in his first season in ‍the ⁣English Football‌ League Championship, scoring 33 goals and ‌providing 10 assists in 48 games. His impressive performance⁢ continued in the Premier League, where he ‌recorded 14 goals and 6 assists in 37 games in ⁣the 2021-22 season.

Toni’s standout season was the 2022-23‌ campaign, where he scored‌ 21 goals⁤ and⁣ provided 5⁤ assists in 34 games.⁣ He finished third in the Premier League’s top scorers list, behind only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. However, his success was marred by a betting scandal,‌ which resulted in ‍an eight-month ban and ‍a fine.

Despite his off-field issues,⁣ Toni was still in demand ahead of the summer‍ transfer market. Tottenham, Arsenal, and Manchester United were reportedly interested in signing‌ him. However,⁢ Tottenham ultimately chose to sign Dominic Solanke instead.

Postecoglou explained that Solanke was a‌ better fit for ⁤the team’s profile, saying,‍ “We considered signing Toni, but at the time, the player who fit ‍the profile we wanted was Solanke.”⁢ He also defended Solanke’s slow start to the season, saying, “You just have to take a breath, think for a moment, and ⁤then make an‍ assessment. You may ‍go through a period where you score in every game but then⁣ fail to score ⁣like other strikers.”

Postecoglou ⁢added that Solanke has adapted well to the team despite his injury, saying, “I don’t look at those things.⁢ What I ‌look‌ at is that Solanke has adapted really ​well since joining and despite his injury, he still has a lot of time left.”