Why £60m Spurs target could finally get Dominic Solanke firing again

In the view of Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi, speaking back in April, Dominic Solanke is “one of the best strikers in the Premier League“.

Whether that lofty praise was merely an attempt to try and boost the Englishman’s confidence or not, it sadly didn’t pay off, with Solanke ending the season on just three Premier League goals, having not scored in any of De Zerbi’s first three games in charge.

Absent from the final four, the 28-year-old’s Tottenham tale has been one dominated by injury, left looking like a shadow of the player who starred for Bournemouth in 2023/24.

Now on just 12 league goals across his first two seasons in north London, it’s approaching now-or-never time for the £65m striker.

Explaining Solanke’s decline since joining Tottenham

Of course, the primary issue for the former Liverpool and Chelsea man has been injury, missing 237 days of action since his arrival two years ago.

Brought in as a belated successor to Harry Kane, Solanke might well have had one eye on rivalling the club’s record scorer at international level too, albeit while having not even been in the England conversation ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

It has been a real steep decline since netting 19 Premier League goals in his final season at the Vitality Stadium, with the towering marksman scoring once every 175 minutes, while boasting a 17% goal conversion rate.

He did miss a stream of chances, 14 in fact, although the fact was that he was at least creating or receiving openings in front of goal, having averaged 2.9 shots per game that year.

Compare that to 2025/26, and the drop-off is stark, with Solanke averaging just 1.3 shots per game while missing only three ‘big chances’, as his goal conversion rate fell to 14%.

The Englishman also only scored three goals at a rate of one every 333 minutes, while averaging just 22.7 touches per game, well below his 33.2 average in 2023/24.

Is it any wonder he’s struggling when considering only Pedro Porro (eight) and Richarlison (seven) created more than eight ‘big chances’ last time out, however, with service to the forward line having been a particular issue.

For context, in 2024/25. Heung-min Son led the way with 16 ‘big chances’ created, with Dejan Kulusevski in second on ten.

Perhaps the eventual return of Kulusevski, James Maddison and co will help to rejuvenate Solanke, although fresh faces might also be needed.

How Spurs can get Solanke firing again

There’s been a distinct lack of attacking arrivals at N17 so far this summer, a problem that has been exacerbated by the absence of the likes of Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert, with Mohammed Kudus also yet to return.

Talk in recent weeks has suggested that £90m Bournemouth star, Eli Junior Kroupi, is keen on a move to N17, although the 20-year-old striker is more likely to be a direct rival to Solanke for that number nine berth.

In terms of who could work in tandem with Spurs’ number 19 in the forward line, the leading target seemingly remains that of Savinho, with the Manchester City man a long-term option for the north London side.

As per journalist Ben Jacobs – speaking on the talkSPORT YouTube channel – Spurs are growing “confident” that they can agree a fee with the Etihad side for the Brazilian.

Previous reports indicated that the 22-year-old could fetch in the region of £60m, just two years on from arriving in Manchester for a fee of around £30m.

That might be an inflated price tag for a player who chalked up just one goal and one assist in the Premier League last term, although Savinho could be the missing piece of the puzzle as far as Solanke and co are concerned.

Comfortable operating on either flank or as a number ten, the South American speedster notably racked up eight assists in the league in 2024/25, having created 11 ‘big chances’ and averaged 1.6 key passes per game.

He would evidently be someone who could put the ball on a plate for Solanke ahead of him, as was also seen during his time at Girona the year prior, with nine goals and ten assists chalked up in LaLiga.

That season again saw the £60m man supply a stream of chances, with 14 in total, while also averaging 1.5 key passes per game, as then-Girona striker Artem Dobvyk enjoyed a real breakout campaign with 24 league goals to his name.

That suggests that if afforded consistent game time, Savinho could well be the creative force both Spurs and Solanke have long been crying out for.

The benefit for Solanke and co too is that Savinho is a winger who draws players to him, someone who is also so dynamic and direct, seeking to drive forward at every available opportunity.

In that 2023/24 season, for instance, he led the way in Spain in terms of total successful dribbles completed, with having that type of game-changer on the flanks only set to benefit those around him.

He may not be the glamour name in a summer that has seen Morgan Rogers move to Chelsea on a £117m deal, but don’t bet against the Man City man proving a real success under De Zerbi’s watch.