Dominic Solanke: Tottenham Hotspur’s latest potential recruit? How does he fit our plans?
Tottenham Hotspur have been looking to fortify their interests in landing former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke in the ongoing summer transfer window.
The North Londoners are looking to land a new number nine as they look to bolster their attacking options going into the next season. Ange Postecoglou has been lacking a clinical option in the number nine role since taking charge of the club last summer. The Australian gaffer has worked along the last season with multiple fillers option leading the line owing to Richarlison’s consistent injury troubles along the campaign.
Tottenham are looking to move on from the Brazilian forward this summer and walk into the next season with a consistent goal scorer leading the line.
With that decision made, the club has to decide on the type of striker that would not only meet the ongoing needs but also ensure to be an asset for a substantial period to come. This includes, but is not limited to, the change in style of play once the club progresses into the current project.
The decision comes down to two strikers, both English and consistent goalscorers but very different in their respective ways of playing. Ivan Toney, who is more of a player and brings in consistent physical presence upfront while dominating the first long balls and widening the horizons of the play and Dominic Solanke, someone who is not only quick to poach a loose ball in the penalty box but also thinks at his feet in all-around play.
The club is pondering going with the latter as he adds to the attacking brand of football we have seen from Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham.
This is how the links to Dominic Solanke make sense. We will try to do a basic SWOT analysis of the player and what he brings to the table.
Strengths
Let’s start with something valuable and basic in the sense of what he brings to the table. Solanke has the potential to take the game away from opponents from any given position in the game. Taking his goals into consideration, the player leads for the most points won for his team in the 2023/24 season. This shows that Spurs can rely on his presence even in the most high-profile games.
There have been times when his involvement in the box has been questioned over the years; however, he has worked on this since Andoni Iraola took over the reins at Bournemouth. His progress has been magnificent when it comes to goal-scoring positions and the places that he is getting into, which is directly related to the goals he has been scoring at Vitality Stadium since.
Let’s get into some of the stats. The 26-year-old is averaging 0.46 in the non-penalty goals, which is more than the non-penalty expected goals at 0.47. This shows how clinical he has been in front of goal in the 23/24 season. Solanke also averaged 2.9 shots and 6.5 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes, which is more than any other season he has played since he joined Bournemouth.
This shows how the player is still progressing and maturing in his role.
You also need to take into account that the last season was the first campaign where Solanke played under a manager who loves to use his strikers clinically. Before Iraola, Solanke under O’Neil used to drift into a second striker role with a winger or an attacking midfielder taking up the central space. And he started producing magnificent numbers as soon as his use was defined in the box by a manager who likes to work with spaces in the box.
He can, with his left, with his right, from outside the box, score the poachy goals and headers as well—in a way, Solanke is a complete striker, and he can prove those credentials at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou are known for their attacking brand of football, and the Australian striker also likes to use his striker in a certain way, which suits Solanke and his growing efficiency and influence.
Weakness
The thing with Solanke is that he is an instinctive striker, and when he has too much time and space to work with, he may end up faltering the opportunity. Instinct is one of his strengths, which could be a weakness, as we may see a few sure chances he may end up skying or playing in the keeper’s line or giving the defenders too much time to recover.
That in a way comes with maturity and confidence; the 26-year-old still has a long way to go, and it is something he can work on at Hotspur Way.
Moreover, he is not fast. When I say fast, I mean pace and not explosiveness. Solanke is explosive when it comes to running with the ball, but he is not going to be the fastest guy on the pitch.
Another thing that he might do is play the sequence a bit more than it deserves. You would see him lay off the ball at times when he needs to shoot, and that could be down to the environment, but you expect your strikers to have a shot at goal every time an opportunity presents itself.
Opportunities
He is good at his hold-up play; he drops deep and could help the sequence where wingers are taking over the attacking situation and create a transition-like sequence. Ange likes to do this at times, and he would be looking to explore the areas to drop to pull defenders with him to give the likes of Son some space to work with in behind.
Solanke is also good with his work rate, and Ange may use that to ensure that he uses that into the aggressive pressing that Tottenham have employed under the Australian gaffer.
The North Londoners are getting a striker who has the capacity to develop into one of the best strikers in the league, provided he is given the right environment and space to use his potential. It is something that would persuade Daniel Levy to invest in his services.
Threats
Playing for Tottenham comes with pressure, and especially when you’re a striker, everyone is going to judge you as per your delta with respect to what Harry Kane used to do at the club. This constant pressure to live under Kane’s shadow and meet the mighty expectations set by his predecessor can be too much at times. You wouldn’t want a high-potential striker to look up and always find himself under constant scrutiny and comparison, which can stifle his confidence and affect his performance.
Moreover, the pressure of a mammoth price tag would also compound subconsciously.
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Signing for Tottenham is an exciting opportunity for Dominic Solanke and vice versa; now it is to be seen if Daniel Levy thinks he is worth the investment.
