Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Tottenham considered a move for Ivan Toney this summer, before signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.
Spurs ultimately secured Solanke in a club-record £65million deal, but Postecoglou has now confirmed reports that Spurs were one of a number of clubs who held an interest in Toney.
The England striker had previously been tracked by both Chelsea and Arsenal but eventually left Brentford on transfer deadline day for Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Ahli for a £40m fee.
Postecoglou said of Toney ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League clash with Brentford this weekend: “We looked at him, but the reality was that Dom [Solanke] is the one that I wanted.
“It took the whole summer to get him in, but he was the one that fitted the profile that we wanted.”
Solanke suffered an ankle injury on his Tottenham debut against Leicester on opening weekend, but returned in time to start against both Arsenal in the north London derby and Coventry in the Carabao Cup over the last week.
The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker was signed on the back of the best campaign of his career so far, scoring 19 Premier League goals last season for Bournemouth.
“He’s settled in really well,” Postecoglou said of Solanke. “There’s plenty more to come from him, because he got injured. He’s only played two-and-a-bit games for us.
“He just needs to get some games under his belt. But what I’ve seen in the games he has played, he’s going to be a real asset for us. I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a great contributor.”
