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.”