Teddy Sheringham has urged Tottenham to beat Arsenal to the signing of Ivan Toney, insisting that the Brentford striker is the missing piece of the puzzle for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
The speculation linking Toney with a move to Spurs does not seem to be going away as we edge closer to the January transfer window.
Just last week, The Daily Mirror reported that Postecoglou is ‘optimistic’ that a number nine will arrive through the door in January, stating that the Lilywhites continue to battle Arsenal and Chelsea for the Brentford star.
However, the outlet added that the Bees remain determined to keep hold of their star striker until next summer.
It had previously been revealed by The Sun last month that the Chelsea hierarchy are convinced they will face competition from Tottenham and Arsenal for the 27-year-old in January.
The report claimed that even though Spurs have played down the idea of signing the England international, the Blues expect their London rivals to vie for the player’s signature.
Sheringham urges Spurs to act for Ivan Toney
Sheringham has now called on his former club to pip their North London rivals to Toney, insisting that he is the sort of big-name player that Postecoglou’s men need.
The pundit told Gambling Zone (as relayed by The Daily Mail): “Everyone is talking about Arsenal getting Ivan Toney in January. He seems to be the only player in the centre-forward position that might be available in the next window.
“I would love to see Tottenham nick him off of Brentford and get there before Arsenal do. Toney has got something about him. He carries himself well and can take on the mantle of being the main man at a club.
“Everyone is suggesting that he could be the icing on the cake for Arsenal, but I think he could be a big, big player for Tottenham at this moment in time.”
Sheringham remarked that Toney is the sort of focal point that Spurs are missing, suggesting that he could bring the likes of Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski into the game more.
He added: “He could spearhead Tottenham’s attack. [Son] isn’t really a centre forward. He loves to run in behind, but he doesn’t play like a centre forward – you need a focal point in your team.
“You need that man that brings it all together. A player that can lead the line, stretch defences, hold the ball up and bring others into play. I see Ivan Toney as a player that is more than capable of doing that.”
Spurs Web Opinion
While Toney is a world-class forward, who would undoubtedly improve any side, I do not think it would be smart for Spurs to spend £80m or so on the Brentford star.
It would be more prudent to invest that money into a top-quality centre-back, another midfielder like Gallagher (to potentially replace Hojbjerg) and a one vs one specialist winger.
I am happy for us to see the season out with Richarlison and Son as our main centre-forward options (with Kuluseveski, Johnson, and Veliz capable of filling in if required) and reassess the number nine situation next summer.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
