Two pundits have named the signing who could make all the difference for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham this season amid suggestions that Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all made a mistake not pursuing a deal themselves.
Affable Aussie coach Postecoglou will be hoping this season is one to remember for Spurs, who started like a train under his management last season before injuries and suspensions caught up with them over a difficult autumn and winter and ultimately led to Tottenham claiming a fifth-placed finish.
Hopes will burn bright that Spurs can at least go one better this time around and seal a return to the Champions League. Postecoglou, though, has made clear his ambitions to go even better, refusing to rule his side out of the title race at one stage last season and also making clear his aims at ending the club’s long wait to win a trophy.
To set them on the right path, Spurs have invested shrewdly this summer, bringing in teenager Archie Gray from Leeds in a £40m deal, Timo Werner back to the club on another season’s loan and having already done a deal for Swedish talent Lucas Bergvall prior to the summer’s window opening.
However, their biggest and most prominent signing came last weekend when they moved to secure the signing of striker Dominic Solanke, who has moved to north London in a club-record deal from Bournemouth worth £65m.
That transfer came about after Spurs moved to trigger the 26-year-old’s exit clause and off the back of a brilliant season with the Cherries, where he scored 19 goals in 38 appearances.
That ensured he was the second highest goalscoring Englishman in the Premier League behind only Cole Palmer.
Solanke can prove difference maker for Tottenham
And with Spurs finally settling on a new striker to replace Harry Kane, many believe Solanke can prove the missing ingredient for Tottenham this season.
To that end, Owen Hargreaves, speaking to Premier League Productions, is surprised Tottenham were able to sign the once-capped England striker unchallenged, suggesting the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd could all have benefited from the 85-goal former Chelsea and Liverpool striker in their ranks.
I love Solanke. I’m amazed that nobody else came in for him,” Hargreaves said when asked about other top Premier League sides and their needs for a new striker.
“I think he’s the perfect centre-forward player. We mention size, speed, he has skill, he knows the Premier League, I think he will only get better and I think he will score more than he did against Bournemouth.
“If he starts well I think he could even compete for the Golden Boot.”
Former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov also believes Solanke will score a hatful of goals in north London, and asked if he will be the difference maker for Postecoglou this season.
We will find out, but he scored 19 goals last season in 38 games. It’s a great thing to do. Hopefully he will bring that form into Spurs to help them score goals because they need to be scoring goals, not leaking goals,” Berbatov said.
Hopefully they start on the right foot and keep going upwards. Dominic can help them because he is 26, he’s tall, he’s athletic, he scores goals.
“He can shoot the ball, he scores some really good goals for a striker and he can bring that quality up front that Spurs need.”
Tottenham open their season with a trip to face Leicester City on Monday evening (20.00 BST), with Postecoglou confident his new striker will be fit enough to make his debut at the King Power Stadium.
