Tottenham Hotspur's effectiveness in the summer transfer window has been clear despite a shaky spell this season, with Ange Postecoglou's appointment blending marvellously with the player acquisitions.
A stunning start to the campaign put last year's eighth-placed finish firmly in the past, with Heung-min Son's goalscoring exploits even attenuating the effect of Harry Kane's sale in August.
But while Son, appointed captain in the summer, has been the perfect talisman, he's not a natural centre-forward, and signing a striker to add a dimension to the attack would be worthwhile.
Especially considering Postecoglou's ambitious stratagems will require such a player to increase the chances of success across multiple fronts.
Spurs transfer news – Dominic Solanke
According to a recent report from the Sun, Tottenham are monitoring in-form Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke as they prepare to strengthen in the summer.
While a centre-forward would be desired this winter, Postecoglou has stressed that bolstering the backline is his "priority" ahead of the January transfer window.
As such, with Richarlison also clicking into gear of late, it might be wise to earmark Solanke and return for him at the end of the campaign, having sent scouts to watch him in action on multiple occasions and tagging him as an apt successor to player of Kane's profile.
With Arsenal also listed as suitors, Bournemouth are understood to be pragmatic about the situation and have stamped a ballpark price tag of £50m on his signature.
Dominic Solanke's season in number
17 games into the 2023/24 Premier League season, Solanke is behind only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah in the scoring charts, which is certainly not bad company to be around.
On par with Jarrod Bowen and Tottenham's Son with 11 goals, Solanke has been immense this season for Bournemouth and was praised for his "predatory" instincts on Sky Sports after bagging a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
As per Sofascore, the 26-year-old has been a menace in the final third, averaging 3.2 shots and 0.8 key passes per game, with the latter metric underlining a creative slant to his skill set that differentiates him from the traditional target man.
Standing at 6 foot 2, Solanke impressed last season as the Cherries avoided relegation upon their return to the top flight, posting seven goals and assists apiece, but it is this year, under the enterprising management of Andoni Iraola, that he has taken the next step in his development.
Player
Club
Patrik Schick
Bayer Leverkusen
Victor Osimhen
Napoli
Sebastien Haller
Borussia Dortmund
Ivan Toney
Brentford
Ante Rebic
Besiktas
*Sourced via Football Transfers
Heralded as a "top, multi-faceted forward" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, Solanke is blossoming into a player with all the tools to succeed at an outfit challenging at the forefront of the Premier League, and he would be a credit to Tottenham's budding revolution under Postecoglou's wing.
Dominic Solanke's style of play
Iraola beamed, “He can play in a low block because he is very good at attacking spaces on the counter. If we have more possession like today, he is very good inside the box.”
The Spaniard's declamation in his post-match media conference, having defeated Forest to stretch a gap to the bottom three to ten points, was capped off with a simple, emphatic statement: Solanke is morphing into the "complete No. 9".
The south coast club now have an interesting forward who can both lead the press, contribute defensively and score goals, enough to finish off slick moves with the constancy that is necessary to avoid the snapping jaw of the relegation zone.
As per FBref, the Englishman also ranks among the top 20% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and successful take-ons, as well as the top 7% for clearances per 90.
As the graph below portrays, the one-cap England international has made incremental gains regarding his striking ability over the past several years, with the two seasons spent in the Championship with his club doing much to refine and mould his game, returning a new man.
Games
Goals
Assists
G/A Rate
23/24
17
11
1
0.71
22/23
33
6
7
0.39
19/20
32
3
1
0.13
18/19
10
0
1
0.10
17/18
21
1
1
0.9
*Sourced via Transfermarkt
Last year, Solanke averaged 2.3 shots per game; in his previous Premier League campaign, 2019/20, the former Liverpool starlet took just one shot per match.
Supplemented by the likes of Son, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, Spurs really could unlock the full scope of Solanke's talents, and while such a transfer might inhibit Richarlison, Postecoglou might need to show a certain edge of ruthlessness to compete against the Premier League's – and Europe's – best.
Why Spurs need Dominic Solanke
Richarlison signed for Tottenham from Everton for £60m in 2022 and was touted for big things in London, though to say that he fell by the wayside would be a colossal understatement.
The Brazilian forward has long been regarded as a menace and a "nuisance for defenders" – as he has been described recently by Postecoglou – but he scored just once in the league as the Lilywhites toiled.
However, with the Australian's inventive style instilled, the 26-year-old has started to demonstrate signs of robustness, indeed plundering four goals from his past three outings.
A dynamic forward, Richarlison operates in a state of flux between the left wing and a central striking role, with skills custom-made for success across either placement.
But for all his attributes, Richarlison just doesn't offer the cutting edge to truly cement a spot as the star striker. For example, Kane posted 30 goals in the Premier League alone last season, while Solanke is currently three goals away from surpassing his career-best seasonal tally of 13.
While the case could be made for the pair to work in unity, a protean partnership capable of wreaking havoc through multifunctionality and contrast of style, Son is among the finest attacking players in world football and has to start, be that up front or out wide.
As such, a move for a player such as Solanke, who would want assurances over his playing time with a transfer to Tottenham – and, further, would not be signed for £50m just to languish on the bench – would perhaps have negative consequences for Richarlison, who would see his role sink further into the shadowed realm of irregularity of action.
But Spurs are pushing for success at the highest level, and, therefore, a talisman is needed in 2024. Solanke may well be the astute option to take the club to new heights.