Tottenham Hotspur will approach the summer transfer window with the same focus regardless of the final standings in the Premier League: Ange Postecoglou's priority is to sign a new striker.
There's no question that Spurs have made improvements from last season, where an eighth-place league finish left the outfit in tatters, Antonio Conte sacked in fiery circumstances and Harry Kane fleeing to Bayern Munich.
But Postecoglou has installed a fresh sense of belief, stamped in his identity, and inculcated an entertaining and enterprising style of play.
Kane hasn't actually been replaced – directly at least – and while Heung-min Son and Richarlison have found prolific success as central focal points, it would be foolish to avoid the lack of an out-and-out centre-forward.
Spurs lining up new striker
Postecoglou will likely seek reinforcements across the pitch but it's clear that signing a striker is at the front of his mind, with recent reports suggesting that a Premier League star is being lined up.
Indeed, according to Football Insider, Tottenham already have 'concrete interest' in Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke and are planning to launch a move this summer, with Andoni Iraola's club tagging him at £50m back in January.
However, the Cherries player has been in scintillating form this season and Spurs are not the only named suitors, with London rivals Arsenal and West Ham United eager to snap him up.
Dominic Solanke's season in numbers
Tottenham were drubbed on Tyneside for the second season running last weekend but have demonstrated overall progress across the campaign, currently perched in fifth place after 32 matches, three points behind Aston Villa in the top four having played a game less.
With the sixth-highest scoring record in the division this season, Tottenham certainly aren't struggling in forward phases but do lack that final sharpened point to lift them to new heights, and Solanke could be the solution.
1.
Cole Palmer
20
0.86
1.
Erling Haaland
20
0.81
3.
Ollie Watkins
19
0.61
4.
Alexander Isak
17
0.86
4.
Mohamed Salah
17
0.71
4.
Dominic Solanke
17
0.54
The current Premier League campaign hasn't seen the kind of staggering goalscoring numbers from usual suspects Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah, but both world-class stars have maintained comparative levels of prolificness.
Solanke has also found himself in the mix. As per Sofascore, the 26-year-old has scored 17 goals and added three assists from 32 Premier League appearances this term, averaging 1.1 key passes, 1.1 dribbles and 5.5 successful duels per outing.
He's also scored just one penalty this season. While spot-kicks cannot be discredited, it does portray a measure of Solanke's prowess in and around the final third, finding ample goalscoring success from open play to underscore his elite movement and burgeoning ball-striking ability.
1.
Ollie Watkins
19
0
19
2.
Dominic Solanke
17
1
16
2.
Erling Haaland
20
4
16
3.
Alexander Isak
17
4
13
4.
Mohamed Salah
17
5
12
5.
Cole Palmer
20
9
11
Look at the table above, when recording non-penalty goals, Solanke can be observed to stand behind only Ollie Watkins in the scoring charts, level with factory-built machine Erling Haaland.
It's a huge improvement from the 2022/23 season, where Solanke made an impression on his top-flight return with promoted Bournemouth, who stayed up relatively comfortably, having scored six goals and supplied seven assists from 32 fixtures.
While he's less creative, the one-cap England international has taken his clinical edge to another level, with former Bournemouth manager Scott Parker marvelling over his newfound deadliness at top-flight level.
Furthermore, given that he has already demolished Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero and recently sold Eric Dier during Tottenham's 3-2 home defeat against Bournemouth last season, scoring one goal and setting up two more, he clearly has the formula to inflict damage on high-level teams such as the Lilywhites.
Solanke notably ran rings around Dier, who received a dreary 4/10 match rating courtesy of Football.London, with Alasdair Gold noting of the defender's display that he was 'slow to react to Bournemouth's first two goals though and was caught upfield for the third.'
As for Romero, he could only muster a 5/10 rating having been 'sloppy' in the early stages of the clash.
It's no wonder that Tottenham are so desperate to secure his signature this summer.
Why Spurs are desperate to sign 'deadly' Solanke
While Solanke's goalscoring ability answers the primary question behind Tottenham's interest, he is developing into much more than a simple 'bagsman' and this is why a host of Europe-competing Premier League sides are pushing for a deal.
Solanke joined Bournemouth from Liverpool in a £19m transfer back in 2019 as a young forward who had failed his audition at Anfield, scoring one goal and supplying one assist from 27 senior displays.
His early years at the Vitality Stadium did little to prove his worth as a top-level goalscorer, scoring three times in 42 Premier League games for Bournemouth before their relegation, but there were signs of future prosperity.
His drop into the Championship was arguably the best thing for his development and he was hailed for having been shaped into a "top, multi-faceted forward" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, words that now ring true indeed.
For a team like Spurs, reliant on hard work and big bursts of energy, Solanke might just be the perfect player, offering something different, more predatory, than Richarlison and Son – the latter is prone to periods of struggle and Tottenham's captain is dynamic and creative and must be used in a deeper, more fluid role.
Moreover, Solanke is chipping in with over one key pass every game in the division this season, which highlights his quality as a multi-faceted centre-forward.
The £50k-per-week Englishman has a range of qualities and while several other exciting names are floating about on the transfer market at the moment, it's hard to dispute his polished ability in front of goal.
Tottenham, for now, will fight fervently against Aston Villa for a fourth-placed Premier League spot to confirm their presence next season in Europe's elite club competition, but with Postecoglou stirring up a promising project down N17, Solanke might just be convinced to join regardless.
