"There’s certainly interest" - Journalist claims Tottenham could challenge Chelsea to sign £80 million rated striker in January

Despite experiencing an eventful summer transfer window, Chelsea and Tottenham are seemingly not satisfied with their signings. If claims by Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold hold any substance, the Lilywhites are interested in making Brentford striker Ivan Toney their attacking spearhead.

While talking to fans in a Q&A session on Football London, Gold replied to a fan's question about Tottenham's interest in recruiting Toney in January, stating,

"There’s certainly interest in the striker as there will be from plenty of clubs."

Notably, Chelsea are also open to adding more attacking players to their ranks and have identified Toney as a possible target for January. According to the Independent, the two London outfits are planning to go toe-to-toe for the signature of the Englishman in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Toney, 27, is currently serving an eight-month ban for betting offenses and won't be available for professional matches till mid-January next year. The clinical striker proved himself to be one of the best frontmen in the division, netting an impressive 20 goals as the Bees cruised to a ninth-place finish.

While the Blues have plenty of players on their roster to take up the striking mantle, Tottenham currently sit on the opposite end of this narrative. Having recently approved the departure of club legend Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, Spurs are left with Richarlison as the only experienced striker on the team.

The Brazilian forward has had an underwhelming start to life in London, grabbing a solitary goal in 27 Premier League appearances in his debut season with Tottenham. 19-year-old newcomer Alejo Veliz is the only other designated frontman at Tottenham, justifying the club's interest in Toney.

Interestingly, Chelsea had been following the whereabouts of the England international for some time now and even wanted to make a move for him earlier this year. However, his untimely ban from all footballing activities forced Chelsea to delay their pursuit, as reported by the Evening Standard.

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Chelsea and Tottenham circle Ivan Toney as Brentford plan for life after him

The Bees recently announced the return of Neal Maupay on a season-long loan from Everton, four years after parting ways with the notorious forward. His arrival has sparked rumours of a potential exit of Ivan Toney from Gtech Community Stadium, with Brentford seemingly planning to groom Maupay as their leading frontman.

Toney's comments in 'The Diary of a CEO' podcast added fuel to these speculations, with the 27-year-old forward expanding on his desire to play for a bigger team. He stated,

"Not that Brentford aren't there, but I feel like playing for a big club, fighting for trophies, these kind of things, everybody wants to do. If the chance was to come along, I think I would be silly not to look more into it."

Considering Toney's proven talent, both Chelsea and Tottenham could benefit from the Englishman's services.