Tottenham hold preliminary talks to sign striker for temporary quick fix
Tottenham Hotspur’s frustrations at home reached a new low after their limp 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the recent London derby. The atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium turned hostile as the final whistle blew, with loud boos echoing around the ground. Spurs managed just a single shot on target across the entire 90 minutes, underlining the worrying lack of attacking threat that has come to define their home displays under Thomas Frank.
The numbers paint an even bleaker picture. Spurs have collected only three wins from their last 20 Premier League fixtures at their own ground—an alarming record for a club with ambitions of competing in Europe. Frank’s solitary home league win this season remains the 3-1 victory over newly promoted Burnley back on the opening weekend, a result that now feels like a distant memory.
The Danish head coach has come under increasing scrutiny for what some critics describe as a predictable and “one-dimensional” style of play, particularly when Spurs attempt to break down compact defensive blocks. Creativity in open play has been a persistent issue. However, Frank’s task has been made considerably tougher by the sheer volume of injuries to his most influential attacking players.
Midfield maestro James Maddison, the team’s primary source of invention, sustained a devastating ACL rupture during pre-season and is expected to miss almost the entire 2025/26 campaign. Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke—last season’s second-top scorer and the club’s record signing—has been stuck in a slow rehabilitation process after what was originally diagnosed as a minor ankle problem. His extended absence has left Tottenham without a focal point and without the cutting edge that defined large parts of last season.
To make matters worse, Solanke is now considered “unlikely” to return in time for this weekend’s high-stakes North London derby, forcing Frank once again to choose between an out-of-form Richarlison and the inconsistent 20-year-old Mathys Tel to lead the line. Neither option has inspired confidence.
Behind the scenes, further complications appear to be brewing. Reports suggest Frank views both Solanke and Richarlison as “expendable” when building the next phase of his Tottenham squad. At the same time, Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Tel is growing increasingly unhappy with his lack of playing time and may be open to a January loan move to Roma. Such stories only intensify speculation that Tottenham are actively prioritising the signing of a new centre-forward.
One name at the top of that list is former Brentford talisman Ivan Toney. Now starring for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, Toney has been in sensational goalscoring form since making his move to the Middle East, netting an incredible 41 goals in just 59 appearances. His club form, however, has not been enough to earn favour with England manager Thomas Tuchel, who has largely overlooked him for national team call-ups since his move abroad.
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Toney is believed to be eager to return to the Premier League in order to boost his chances of reclaiming a place in the England setup. According to TEAMtalk, the 29-year-old has already informed Al-Ahli of his intention to leave in the January window, and Tottenham have quickly emerged as the frontrunners for his signature.
Frank is said to view Toney as the “clinical” finisher Spurs desperately need to transform their fortunes and push them closer to challenging for silverware. Early “preliminary talks” have reportedly taken place, and remarkably, Toney is understood to be willing to take a staggering 50% pay cut from his current £427,000-per-week salary to make the move to north London a reality.
Frank knows exactly what Toney can offer. During their time together at Brentford, the striker produced the best season of his career, scoring 20 Premier League goals and establishing himself—at least in Frank’s eyes—as England’s second-best striker behind Harry Kane. Speaking in 2023, Frank could not have been more complimentary:
> “Ivan is amazing in so many aspects. The way he handles pressure, the way he keeps performing for the team—he’s remarkable. He drives the group, he’s got a fantastic presence, and he has that emotional intelligence that makes everyone around him better. For me, he was clearly the number two striker in England at the time.”
Reports from Saudi Arabia suggest Al-Ahli value Toney at around £30 million, a figure that would be viewed as reasonable for a proven Premier League goalscorer in his prime. It has even been claimed that Toney has spoken “directly” to Frank about a potential reunion, signalling his strong interest in the move.
However, there are complications. A permanent transfer could trigger a significant tax penalty given how recently Toney moved to the Gulf. Because of this, a loan move with an option—or obligation—to buy in the summer may be the most realistic structure for Spurs to pursue in January.
Still, the message is clear: Tottenham are accelerating their plans to reshape their attack, and Ivan Toney sits firmly at the centre of that blueprint.