Dominic Solanke transfer: Why Spurs have bought Bournemouth striker

When Harry Kane left Tottenham last summer for Bayern Munich, manager Ange Postecoglou did not sign a striker to replace the club’s all-time leading scorer.

But with Spurs having finished with just 74 goals last campaign – the least in the top seven – it is no surprise to see them try to boost their firepower.

Kinsella said: “The signing of a new striker was never supposed to spark the exit of Brazil striker Richarlison, with Postecoglou confirming his faith in him.

“He believes they needed another option as they missed Richarlison when he was injured, with no natural alternative.

“Postecoglou believes Solanke will be the perfect fit for his system. That is down to his running ability, pressing skills and goal output.

“He isn’t going to pin all his hopes on Solanke scoring goals though, as his style of play should mean players from all over the pitch will chip in.”

So what do the stats say?

Solanke was only the 10th player in Premier League history to score as many as 19 goals for a bottom-half team – with no player’s goals worth more points to their club than his last season, according to data analysts Opta.

He compares well in other areas as well, ranking fourth in the Premier League for expected goals (xG) in 2023-24 (19.6), third for shots (109) and sixth for touches in the opposition box (239).

Son Heung-min ranked best for Tottenham last season with 85 shots, 12.09 xG and 227 touches in the opposition box.

Solanke’s numbers also suggest he is a good fit for Tottenham’s intense pressing game, with Spurs one of the few teams who pressed more than Bournemouth last campaign.

Opta say Solanke led the Premier League last season for pressures (1,242), pressures in the final third (703) and pressures in the final third resulting in a turnover (142).

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has admitted the Cherries will struggle to replace Solanke, saying: “Dominic deserved to be called up for the Euros and to not be was a blow for him. He has given us everything he has but to sign someone like Dom is almost impossible.”