With the announcement of a club-record signing in Dominic Solanke, could the former Bournemouth forward be the final piece of the puzzle for Ange Postecoglou’s side?
Tottenham sign Dominic Solanke
Arriving from Bournemouth for a reported £65m (Sky Sports), the Englishman surpasses Tanguy N’dombele as Tottenham’s all-time record transfer, providing Ange with the statement signing needed ahead of the Premier League’s return this weekend.
It’s been no secret that Spurs and Daniel Levy have had their sights firmly set on bringing a forward to N17 this summer, with links to Eberechi Eze, Ivan Toney, Pedro Neto and now Solanke being ever-present.
Add that the arrival of Archie Gray earlier in the window and Lucas Bergval’s much-anticipated introduction to the first team, and this summer’s business is beginning to look promising for Spurs fans.
However, as alluded to by Postecoglou, a forward has always been top of the wishlist for the Australian, so the arrival of Solanke poses an exciting prospect in North London.
Why Dominic Solanke?
For those who have been long-time fans of the Premier League, Solanke has become something of a household name.
Aged 26, the forward has already spent time at both Chelsea then Liverpool, however, in truth failed to properly establish himself before opting for a move to the South Coast.
Despite concerns over his ability in his early career, at Bournemouth and specifically under Andori Iraola, Solanke has proved himself to be an elite-level forward, netting an impressive 22 goals and providing four assists in all competitions last season (Transfermarkt).
Under the Spaniard’s, high-intensity, pressing system – a similar style to what Solanke will experience under Postecoglou, the forward enjoyed a long-awaited breakout campaign in 2023/24, even being named as the Premier League’s player of the month for December 2023 becoming the first Bournemouth player in history to achieve such an accolade (Premier League).
Last season, Solanke took an impressive 2.9 shots per game; a marked improvement on Richarlison’s 2.2, whilst he averaged 1 on target per 90 (FB Ref).
And compared to forwards in Europe’s top five leagues, Solanke’s average shooting distance of 12.2 yards saw him rank in the top 11%, proving his ability to impose himself in the box and get chances in perceived dangerous areas.
With that in mind, Solanke looks to be tailor-made for Posteglou’s all-action attacking football, offering a constant presence in the box that could see him form a deadly frontline alongside Tottenham’s current roster of forwards.
With a quartet of wingers in Heung-Min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson, the latter two of whom are no stranger to getting to the byline and putting in crosses, in theory, the number and quality of chances Solanke is presented with should rise substantially.
And given the forward has already shown his quality in with all due respect, a mid-table Bournemouth side, Spurs fans will be hoping Solanke can hit the ground running and produce the “20 goals a season” he recently promised prospective Fantasy Premier League managers.
All in all, whilst some fans may understandably have concerns over the £65m fee, Postecoglou has proven himself in his transfer dealings thus far in his Spurs career.
Each of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, and Brennan Johnson all enjoyed fine campaigns last season, so fans should have no reason to doubt the Australian when it comes to recruitment.
With just over a week until Tottenham’s Premier League campaign kicks off against Leicester City, fans will no doubt be excited to see Spurs’ and Solanke’s season get off to hopefully a winning start.