David Ornstein now says £80m striker who Tottenham want to sign could end up leaving for free

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David Ornstein claims he’s been advised to not rule out Tottenham Hotspur target Ivan Toney seeing out his contract at Brentford.

The Athletic journalist has been speaking to NBC Sports and shared an update on Ivan Toney’s future amid interest from Spurs.

Tottenham could be in the market for a new striker over the coming transfer windows after losing Harry Kane over the summer.

Of course, Ange Postecoglou has fared well without a No9 so far as Son Heung-Min has been in exceptional goalscoring form. 

But Tottenham have been credited with an interest in Toney as top Premier League clubs begin to circle for the striker’s signature. 

Indeed, The Times recently claimed that Spurs are among the clubs keen on signing the 27-year-old in January. 

Toney is currently serving an eight-month suspension after breaching FA gambling guidelines. But he’s set to return to action mid-January and David Ornstein has shared the latest on his future. 

Toney could leave Brentford for free

Speaking to NBC Sports, Ornstein claimed Tottenham are ‘worth watching’ when it comes to signing Toney.

The journalist also claimed the Bees star is more likely to leave the Gtech Community Stadium next summer rather than in January.

But the England international could even see out his contract at Brentford.

“To my knowledge, there’s been no movement so far and this reported asking price of in excess of £100 million that Brentford have 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,” Ornstein said.

“He’s moved agencies to CAA Base who are renowned for getting deals done so I think that may have fuelled a lot of this scrutiny. But let’s see how it develops.”

He added: “He’s had a contract in the summer of 2025 so I think currently it’s looking less likely he’ll move in January, maybe more likely in the summer. But I’ve been advised not to rule out free agency the summer after next so watch this space on that.

“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 looks set to leave Brentford at some stage and has already openly admitted his desire to seek out a fresh challenge.

The striker netted an impressive total of 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last time out being banned.

It’s no surprise to see Toney linked to a host of top clubs but Brentford are reportedly set to demand at least £80 million for the forward. 

Spurs haven’t exactly made a habit of pushing the boat out for marquee signings, but Toney could be an exception.

It’s no secret that Tottenham haven’t brought in a ready-made replacement for Kane and despite Son’s brilliant early-season form, it’s a position they may need to bolster over the coming windows.