🚨JUST IN: Dominic Solanke answers Ange Postecoglou Tottenham transfer question but only on ONE condition
Dominic Solanke has been linked with a summer transfer to Tottenham from Bournemouth as Ange Postecoglou looks to bring a new striker to the club for the 2024/25 season
The search for the new striker to take Tottenham to the very next level goes into the final month of the summer transfer window. Spurs’ Premier League opener against Leicester City on Monday, August 19 is edging ever closer but still there is no sign at present of a frontman signing on the dotted line.
Tottenham are yet to find a replacement for Harry Kane almost one year on from his big-money move to Bayern Munich. Due to the England captain’s status in the game as one of the best strikers in the world, Spurs were never going to find a natural replacement as there are very few players in his position who can do what he does on the pitch and also contribute those remarkable numbers on a consistent basis.
Amid the hunt for a striker, players such as Jonathan David, Viktor Gyokeres and Dominic Solanke have been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. Gyokeres is undoubtedly the pick of many following an incredible debut campaign at Sporting CP, with some supporters turning their nose up at the prospect of a move for Bournemouth striker Solanke.
Maybe not the big-name signing supporters are crying out for, the 26-year-old did enjoy an excellent season on the south coast after hitting 21 goals and that should not be sniffed at. Many will point to the fact that it was the first time Solanke had scored double figures in a Premier League season, though.
Although prior to last season things maybe didn’t fall into place for him in the top flight, he has demonstrated his eye for goal in the Championship – which Gyokeres also did at Coventry City – after scoring 44 goals in the two seasons Bournemouth were out of the Premier League following their relegation in July 2020.
The appointment of Andoni Iraola as Bournemouth boss seemed to work wonders for Solanke’s game as everything clicked into place for him in front of goal. For a team tipped to be a in a relegation battle, the 19 Premier League goals the striker netted was some achievement and a major reason for the Cherries coming within a whisker of a top-half finish.
Having netted 21 in total for Bournemouth in 2023/24, Solanke could quite easily surpass that total if he makes the move to Tottenham before August’s transfer deadline. The Lilywhites lack that penalty-box striker and Solanke showed everyone last season that he is extremely clinical in and around the box and that he also has all the attributes the north London club require in a new frontman.
A move to Tottenham would also leave him licking his lips at the prospect of scoring for fun due to the amount of times players such as Son Heung-min, Timo Werner, and Brennan Johnson send inviting balls across the face of goal. As well as the goals that he could provide, Solanke is also powerful, very impressive in the air and he is virtually always available – which is something Richarlison has struggled with following his move from Everton – after only missing a few games here and there for Bournemouth over the past five seasons.
His homegrown status would also come as a massive plus point to Tottenham when it comes to naming a 25-man squad for both the Premier League and Europa League, as would his Premier League experience compared to David and Gyokeres. The main talking point when it comes to Solanke, though, is a potential transfer fee.
Many Tottenham supporters have baulked at reports of a £65million release clause in his Bournemouth contract that can only be triggered by the Premier League’s top six. For a player who has only ever hit double figures in one Premier League season, that is a substantial fee as there is no guarantee his Bournemouth form from last season will immediately transfer over to his new club.
A more reasonable fee, however, and it is a transfer Tottenham should certainly consider as Solanke could thrive playing in Ange Postecoglou’s system and also bolster their lack of numbers in the frontline. A transfer to N17 would also hand him an opportunity to prove that he can cut it at the very top of the Premier League amid the previous hope when he was coming through the system at Chelsea and also following his move to Liverpool in 2017.
If Postecoglou does want Solanke to lead the line for his team this season then Tottenham should do all they can to sign him. The head coach certainly knows best after all, with Guglielmo Vicario’s transfer from Empoli proof of that at a time many were calling for the club to sign David Raya from Brentford.
The Italian, who very few supporters had heard of prior to his Tottenham transfer, maybe was the cheaper option compared to Raya but Postecoglou knew what he could bring to the club and he has since fully repaid his faith in him following an outstanding debut campaign. Tottenham unfortunately aren’t going to sign that like-for-like replacement for Kane and it’s about finding the perfect player that fits the mould for the head coach’s way of playing.