What Thomas Frank and Thomas Tuchel could tell Ivan Toney to get him to sign for Tottenham
Tottenham may have the advantage over rivals in the race to bring Ivan Toney back to the Premier League, according to Darren Bent.
Toney is interesting various Premier League sides, including Spurs, ahead of the January transfer window, but faces a massive tax bill if he returns from the Saudi Pro League at this stage.
Bent thinks Thomas Frank’s previous relationship with Toney at Brentford could tip the scales in favour of a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but believes on balance the 29-year-old is more likely to remain in the Middle East for now with Al-Ahli.
However, the ex-Spurs striker has suggested that England boss Thomas Tuchel making clear there is a route back into the squad for the World Cup if a move is made could change everything.
Darren Bent gives Tottenham edge on potential Ivan Toney deal
During a discussion live on talkSPORT Bent put himself in Toney‘s shoes and played down the prospects of him leaving approximately £14 million on the table to come back to England.
But he said: “If Thomas Tuchel said to me, ‘Definitely, listen, if you come back, play a few games, get yourself fit, I’m definitely picking you’, then that’s a bigger conversation. And I’d probably go, ‘I’m gonna have to [come back]’…
“Unless Thomas Tuchel’s said to him, ‘Ivan Toney, if you come back you’re definitely in the squad’, I’m not coming back for that…
“Unless I’m coming back for one of the absolute big boys that are playing Champions League week in and week out and have got a chance of winning trophies then what am I coming back for?”
Asked specifically about the Tottenham route by Andy Goldstein Bent indicated it probably wouldn’t be worth it, but then said: “The bonus that Spurs might have where he might go, ‘Do you know what?‘ is he knows Thomas Frank, and Thomas Frank likes him.
“So that might be a scenario where Thomas Frank goes, ‘Listen, I’ve got Dom Solanke, I’ve got Richarlison, not quite doing it for me, can’t stay fit, not really prolific. You come back, get yourself fit, you know you’ll play, you know how I operate, I got the best out of you when you were at Brentford. We work well together, you know the standards I expect’.
“So that is where Spurs might have the upper hand.”
Toney to be summer Tottenham target
As players who have moved to the Saudi Pro League for the massive tax-free wages must remain out of the country for almost two years to avoid a major portion of their incoming becoming retroactively subject to tax there will surely be a major run at Toney in the summer.
The England international left Brentford prior to last season and too many factors appear to be in the way of a winter return this term.
It would appear that his World Cup prospects are low, unless an injury issue to Harry Kane arises in the coming months, but even then Solanke himself is probably ahead of Toney the queue.
Come the summer the Frank factor could well make a major difference, provided Spurs are playing European football of some sort and haven’t had another poor league campaign.
On the other hand, given the club’s recent record of cycling through managers, there is no guarantee that he will still be in charge at Tottenham, with some not convinced that Frank should have come in for Ange Postecoglou as things stand anyway.
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