Aside from the defeat to Bayern Munich on Saturday, pre-season has been relatively successful for Tottenham Hotspur thus far.
They might not be the most formidable opposition, but wins over Hearts, Queens Park Rangers, Vissel Kobe and the K-League XI have given fans a glimpse into how Ange Postecoglou's side might approach next season.
However, with less than a month remaining in the transfer window, Daniel Levy and Co must ramp up their work in the market and bring the Australian manager the right players to help him succeed in North London.
Fortunately, that appears to be happening, as the latest star touted for a move to N17 would be a real level-raiser and the perfect teammate for Son Heung-min.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have maintained their interest in Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke and held discussions with his entourage to glean more information about a potential transfer.
The report claims that the Lilywhites are 'prepared to test Bournemouth and the player's resolve' with an offer in the region of €50m, which converts to about £43m.
It's claimed in the story that the Englishman would be open to a move 'provided he receives a good offer', although with Arsenal and Liverpool supposedly interested as well, Levy and Co might want to get a move on should they wish to secure his services.
Solanke might not be the most exciting striker around at present, but he proved his talent last season, and under Postecoglou, he could be unreal alongside Son.
Why Solanke would be Son's dream teammate
Okay, so while there could be any number of reasons why Solanke would be a great teammate for Son, from his personality to the way he conducts himself in training, there is really only one that matters, one that overrides all other reasons for someone in his position: his output.
When it truly comes down to it, the attribute the Lilywhites captain probably wants most in the number nine to his right is clinical finishing, someone he can rely upon to bury the chances he works hard to create out wide or in midfield. With the Cherries ace, that's what he'd have.
For example, in just 42 appearances for the South Coast outfit last season, the "outstanding" centre-forward, as Paul Merson dubbed him, scored 21 goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.68 games.
Appearances
42
36
31
34
Goals
21
17
12
5
Assists
4
10
4
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.59
0.75
0.51
0.44
Impressively, his 19 Premier League goals were enough to see him come joint fourth in the top goalscorers list, alongside some of the biggest stars of the season, such as Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins.
Moreover, the Englishman's incredible haul of 24 goals and assists would have comfortably made him the top goalscorer in the Spurs squad last season and the second most productive player behind only the South Korean star.
Lastly, you only need to look at Understat's conclusion that Son underperformed his expected goals in the league last season by 3.34 to see that he needs a reliable striker next to him. In the former Chelsea gem, he'd have precisely that, and this time next year, we'd wager that Understat would have him much closer to his expected assist number, if not slightly over it.
Ultimately, while Tottenham still scored a decent number of goals last season, the fact that six teams scored more is evidence enough that they need a new striker up top. Solanke could be the perfect candidate, and if they can secure his services for close to £43m, then Levy and Co must.
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The talented midfielder would be an interesting addition to Postecoglou’s system.
1 ByJack Salveson HolmesAug 2, 2024
