Korea’s top scorer to Son Heung-min partner?
Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a move for proven Premier League striker Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) to join Son Heung-min up front next season.
“Tottenham are making progress in their bid for Dominic Solanke, who has a buyout clause worth £65 million ($113.2 million) so far,” the Telegraph reported on Friday.
Solanke, an England forward born in 1997, has emerged as one of the Premier League’s top strikers in the 2023-24 season. He scored 19 goals and provided three assists in the league last season, tied for fourth in the Premier League scoring charts. Last December, he was named Premier League Player of the Month for December, beating out Son Heung-min, who scored six goals and provided four assists in the month.
Solanke is no stranger to South Korean fans, having represented England at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea, where he scored four goals and won the Golden Ball to lead his country to victory.
After failing to establish himself at Chelsea and Liverpool as a youngster, Solanke turned his career around last season, not only scoring double-digit Premier League goals for the first time in his professional career, but also registering over 20 assists.
After a stellar year at Bournemouth, Solanke has earned the chance to play for a big club again. Tottenham, who are looking to sign a No. 9 striker, have identified Solanke as a player who can play up front in place of Son Heung-min.
“Tottenham are looking to make progress on a move for Bournemouth striker Solanke,” the outlet explained, “Solane has been on Spurs’ shortlist and the club have held talks about a move for him.”
“Solanke has a high buyout clause in his contract with Bournemouth, which is valued at £65 million, and so far clubs have been reluctant to match it.”
“Tottenham could try to negotiate by offering Bournemouth favorable payment terms, but there is work to be done for Spurs to make significant progress,” the report said.
“Tottenham manager Anzhi Postecoglou has made it clear that he wants to add a striker to his squad, and Solanke is considered to be a good fit for Postecoglou’s style of play,” the report added.
“Heung-min scored 17 goals for Tottenham last 파워볼사이트 season, the highest in the team, but he played most of the season in a central striker role, and Postecoglou wants to have the option to move him back to the left by signing a proven striker.”
Tottenham were left with a frontline problem after the departure of world-class striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich last summer, so they moved Son, who had been a left winger since joining the club, to the center.
Son Heung-min’s position change has been a huge success. Despite playing in an unfamiliar position, Son has scored a lot of goals and become Spurs’ new number nine. Last September, he was named the Premier League’s September Player of the Month after scoring six goals in four games during the month.
However, Spurs are looking for a new number nine as they want to deploy Son in his primary position of left winger rather than keep him up front.
Tottenham have Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino, who scored 11 goals in the league last season, but he missed a lot of games last season due to injury and has been linked with a move away this summer, with Saudi Arabian clubs reportedly interested.
After recently completing a preseason tour of Asia in Japan and South Korea, Tottenham will now return to London, England, to face German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich in a friendly at home at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Nov. 11 at 1:30 p.m.
After Munich, Tottenham prepares for its Premier League opener. Tottenham’s opening Premier League match of the 2024-25 season will be against promoted side Leicester City, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. on Sept. 20 at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England.
With the start of the season fast approaching, Spurs have only made three signings so far: Lucas Verbal, Archie Gray, and Gangwon FC winger Yang Min-Hyuk.
Of the three, Verbal was a confirmed signing during the winter transfer window, while Yang will join the club next January. Most importantly, all three players are young prospects, born in 2006, so Spurs fans will be hoping for someone who can compete for a first-team spot by the start of the season.
Solanke, who scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season, is the perfect fit for the type of player Spurs fans are looking for. With Son Heung-min returning to the left wing next season, it will be interesting to see if Solanke will be the No. 9 who anchors Spurs’ front line.