Dominic Solanke has failed to justify his hefty price tag at Tottenham since moving from Bournemouth last year
Tottenham Hotspur shattered their club transfer record to sign Dominic Solanke in a £65 million deal from Premier League rivals Bournemouth during last summer’s transfer window.
It was a rare display of ambition from Spurs honcho Daniel Levy, luring the England international away after a productive 2023/24 campaign that saw him score 19 Premier League goals for Bournemouth. The 27-year-old, though, has not managed to live up to the lofty expectations of the Spurs fans at White Hart Lane.
Dominic Solanke has spearheaded the Tottenham attack this season, although he has not been consistent and managed only seven goals in 21 Premier League matches. The striker spent one -and-a-half months on the sidelines with a knee injury, missing 10 games in the process. And with his fellow forwards underperforming and Spurs’ first XI chopping and changing constantly owing to persistent injuries, the Englishman has struggled to show his best form in his debut season at N17.
Solanke led the line for Ange Postecoglou’s side against Chelsea on Thursday evening. But, he fired another blank as Chelsea beat Tottenham 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson thinks the Tottenham record signing will eventually come good after having an up-and-down first season in North London. He believes the pressure of being the leader of the Lilywhites’ attack and scoring goals consistently has affected the Reading-born talent since moving from Bournemouth in 2024.
When grading the most expensive signings of the ongoing season on the Sky Sports Premier League, Paul Merson was asked about Solanke and his performances for Ange’s side. The pundit said:
“I thought [Solanke] was a good signing when he signed. I still believe it will be but I don’t think he’s got to the heights he did at Bournemouth. It’s been a bit stop-start.
“Better things next season, in my opinion. I think he’s got to get used to it. I think hasn’t been able to handle that pressure as well as I thought he would. He will get better.
“I would [rate him] C. I think there’s a lot more to come.”
Indeed, Solanke has not shown his best version in a Spurs shirt yet, which is down to a myriad of factors. He has, at least, proven to be a good fit in Ange’s system and impressed with his work ethic, pressing, attitude, link-up and hold-up play.
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For the money the club splashed to get him from Bournemouth, the Englishman is yet to become a killer goalscorer. While he brings a lot more to the floor than just goals, Solanke—being a striker—will always be judged by how goals he has scored at the end of the day.
Like Merson, we believe there is a lot to come from Solanke, and hopefully, he becomes a more reliable source of goals for Tottenham next season.