English Premier League (EPL) side Tottenham have not given up on finding a replacement for star striker Harry Kane.

Kane moved to Bayern Munich ahead of the season. Without Kane, Tottenham has done well. In particular, the “nail strategy” of playing Son Heung-min up top has been working. Son is second in goals with six, and Spurs are second in the league with five wins and two draws.

However, you can’t rely on the nails all season long. Opponents will come up with strategies to match. Spurs need a different strategy, especially with a traditional frontline striker to solidify the team. That’s why Spurs are looking to sign a “true replacement” for Kane.

There is a potential candidate. A controversial striker. Brentford’s Ivan Tone.

Toni is an ‘illegal’ player. He’s currently under disciplinary action for ‘illegal betting’.

Toni scored 31 goals in the Championship (second tier) in 2020-21 to help Brentford win promotion to the top flight. He settled into the top flight with 12 goals in 2021-22 and exploded for 20 last season. He finished third in goals behind Manchester City’s Elling Holland (36) and Kane (30). It’s clear that the striker is heading towards the peak of his career.

However, he shocked the world last season when it was revealed that he was involved in illegal betting. He was found to have violated betting regulations a total of 232 times between 2017 and 2021. Tony was even found to have bet on Brentford’s losses.

In May, the English Football Association (FA) held a disciplinary hearing and handed him an eight-month suspension and a £50,000 fine ($82 million). He will not be able to play for his club or the England national team until January 16th of next year.

The club will have to wait until the winter transfer window to sign him. Local media analyzed that the reason why the club did not rush to sign Kane’s replacement in the summer transfer window, despite his departure, was the idea of signing him in the winter. Enze Postecoglou is reportedly desperate for the player. 

In fact, reports have suggested that Tottenham are the favorites to sign him in the January winter transfer window.

In an ‘exclusive report’, the UK’s Football Insider said, “Tottenham have stepped up their pursuit of Toni in the January winter transfer window. According to sources, Brentford will put Toni on the market in January, with a move to Tottenham the favorite.” 스포츠토토

“Tottenham are not the only ones interested in signing Tony. Chelsea and Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Toni. But it’s Tottenham who are most closely linked. At the age of 27, Tottenham have valued him at close to £100 million ($164 million), with the expectation that he still has plenty of upside.”

If Tottenham were to finalize the deal, they would use the money from the sale of Kane to sign Toni. Kane, who also sold to Bayern Munich for £100 million, would also set a new record for the highest transfer fee in Spurs history. Tottenham’s previous highest transfer was for Olimpi in 2019.