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The stats show that Dominic Solanke is adept at getting on the end of crosses, which should, in theory, help the striker get plenty of goals from Tottenham.

Solanke arrives at Spurs

Solanke has arrived at Spurs on a big-money move from Bournemouth, with some perhaps questioning whether the Lilywhites have overpaid for the striker, given that he has only had one outstanding season at the highest level.

Tottenham insider Paul O’Keefe revealed on the Last Word on Spurs podcast at the start of this week that Ange Postecoglou wanted an all-round striker rather than just a world-class goalscorer, which is why Spurs were leaning towards the 26-year-old over Ivan Toney.

Apart from Solanke’s ability to press, his pace and his combination play, there is one other reason that he might be a great fit for the North London club.

Solanke is a presence in the box

Sky Sports point out that the Spurs newcomer is exceptional at getting on the end of crosses, scoring the overwhelming majority of his goals inside the box.

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They reveal that 17 of Solanke’s 19 Premier League goals for Bournemouth last season came from inside the box and this is expected to be very useful for Spurs.

That is because Tottenham get plenty of crosses into the box, with the Lilywhites ranking fourth across the league for the number of crosses per game in the 2023-24 season.

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There is no doubt that Tottenham were quite proliferate in front of goal last season, given the number of chances we created.

Postecoglou will be hoping Solanke is the man to finish off those moves.

Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Fraser Forster trained with the rest of the Spurs squad over the past week.

Fraser Forster is back in training

Forster has not featured in any of Tottenham’s pre-season friendlies so far, including their final friendly of the summer tour against Bayern Munich.

While Forster has been out of action for much of the calendar year, Postecoglou has now revealed that the English goalkeeper has now recovered from his injury. He hopes that Forster will be fit and raring to go for Tottenham’s first game of the campaign against Leicester City.

Postecoglou told Football.London: “Richy and Fraser have got back into training this week and both had a good block of training. With another week’s training before the start of the season hopefully, they’ll be in a good place. Everyone else has had a pretty good pre-season.”

Postecoglou wants to see Spurs improve

Postecoglou also admitted that he hopes to see significant improvement from his side compared to last season.

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He pointed out that other top sides will also be much improved during the upcoming campaign, which is why Tottenham have to bring their A-game if they wish to compete with the best.

When asked what his expectations and those of the fans are ahead of the upcoming season, the Australian responded: “The fans’ expectations every year are they want to see their club winning and being successful. I don’t think that should change or diminish just because of change. Particularly at this football club, it is a big football club and has been there or thereabouts for a very long time.

“I would like to think our fans are optimistic about the season ahead, but for me, it still comes down to the basic core principles of we need to improve on last year.

“On the areas where we fell short and build on the areas where we did really well because what we do know in the Premier League is the competition doesn’t stand still.

“The teams ahead of us and the teams around or behind us don’t stay in the same place necessarily, they improve so for us, if we don’t improve, we lose ground from where we are.

“We need to try to improve at a greater rate than the opposition and that’s what we want to do. We want to push on from last year and if we can improve our football, be more consistent then I think it will put us in a decent place.”

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While Forster’s recovery is not as much of a concern, Postecolgou will want Richarlison fit and firing as soon as possible. Given how long the Brazilian has been out of action for, one would expect him to take a few more weeks before reaching 100 per cent.

Ange Postecoglou has played down suggestions that Dominic Solanke will fill the void left by Harry Kane, insisting that it is impossible to replace a generation player like the Tottenham legend.

Tottenham sign Dominic Solanke

There has been a lot of debate among Spurs fans about Solanke and the huge fee that the club have reportedly paid for him.

While some view the Englishman as a good fit for Tottenham’s system and are thrilled by the news that he is the striker that Ange Postecoglou wanted, others are less sceptical about the 26-year-old’s pedigree, pointing out that he has only had one outstanding season at the highest level.

The centre-forward is expected to provide stiff competition to Richarlison for the number nine role but Postecoglou refuted suggestions that the newcomer would be expected to replace Kane.

Solanke will not replace Harry Kane

He explained that it was important to have more options up front as Tottenham look to compete on multiple fronts during the upcoming season.

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When asked if Solanke is the striker he has wanted to bring in since the England captain left the club last year, the Tottenham head coach told Football.London: “I don’t think we’ve been looking to replace Harry. I think I said a number of times last year you can’t replace a generational player and there’s a reason they stand apart.

“It’s fair to say the front third is an area we really believe we need to reinforce this year. We’ve been working hard to try and get the right kind of players into those areas we need for another challenging season ahead.

“We’re back in Europe, which means more games, and the one thing coming out of last year when we had disruptions in terms of injuries or suspensions there was a real drop off and we want to sort of try and mitigate that this year by having a stronger squad to cope with everything we do.”

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It would be unfair on Solanke to expect him to fill Kane’s shoes as the former Tottenham man is a once-in-a-generation striker.

However, the 26-year-old is undoubtedly a great fit for Spurs’ system and I feel he will surprise a lot of people with how well he does at N17.

Tottenham Hotspur are still thought to be in the market for a new winger this summer, and they may have set their sights on a player who is eager to return to the Premier League after spending the last year in Turkey.

Zaha wants to come back to England

Wilfried Zaha joined Galatasaray last summer on a free transfer from Crystal Palace, and has been fairly successful in his first year in Turkey. He scored ten goals and registered five assists as his side won the Super Lig title.

However, Zaha is now thought to be keen to come back to the Premier League, a division where he made his name during two highly successful spells with Palace.

The latest report on the Ivorian’s situation comes from HITC, with a claim that a number of English clubs expected to be interested in the fact Zaha wants a return to the Premier League.

His former club Palace are thought to be interested in bringing Zaha back to Selhurst Park, but newly promoted Leicester City are also pursuing the 31-year-old.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United are all believed to be keeping tabs on Zaha, with all three clubs known to be looking for a new winger this summer.

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Spurs have history with Zaha

Before his move to Galatasaray last summer, Tottenham were linked with Zaha but missed out as the player himself was keen to play Champions League football (LondonWorld).

That wasn’t the first time the Lilywhites looked at the former Palace star, either. It is said Mauricio Pochettino was very eager to sign Zaha during his time in North London, and was frustrated that a deal was never arranged (Talking Transfers).

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A few years ago I would have been delighted if we signed Zaha. Now, he’s simply too old for this squad.

A loan deal might be suitable, but I think we would be far better off just finding a younger winger to fit the profile we are looking at.

Dominic Solanke is on the verge of being announced as an official Tottenham Hotspur player, but which squad number will he take in Ange Postecoglou’s squad?

According to the BBC, Solanke is set to sign for Spurs in a deal worth a reported £55m upfront, with a further £10m in add-ons.

The 26-year-old touched down at Hotspur Way on Friday night and completed his medical before putting pen to paper on a bumper six-year contract (The Athletic).

But, with his preferred number 9 shirt currently occupied by Richarlison at Tottenham, where does that leave Solanke when it comes to picking a squad number?

What numbers are available?

Perhaps the best option available to Solanke right now would be the number 19 shirt, which was vacated by Ryan Sessegnon this summer.

Aside from this, Solanke has the less suitable options of the 2 or 12 shirt, with the latter soon to be left behind by Emerson Royal.

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Looking further down the list, there are also the number 25, 26, and 28 shirts available, before heading into even higher numbers like 31, 32, 34, 38, and 39.

One option potentially available to Solanke would be the number 11 shirt. Though it is currently held by Bryan Gil, the Spaniard is out on loan at Girona and has no future at Tottenham.

There is precedent for this kind of situation, where Ivan Perisic took the number 14 shirt off Joe Rodon, with the latter’s permission while he was out on loan at Rennes.

If Solanke wanted to be a little different, he could also try and take the number 5 shirt away from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, though that seems very unlikely for a striker.

One other option

There is potentially one other number which might be appealing to Solanke, and that’s the number 18 shirt that Giovani Lo Celso currently holds.

But, with the Argentine’s future at Spurs uncertain, we may yet see him move on before the end of the transfer window, giving Solanke the chance to follow in the footsteps of iconic Tottenham number 18s like Jermain Defoe, Harry Kane, and Jurgen Klinsmann.

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I personally can’t see Lo Celso moving on this summer, so if I was Solanke I would take the number 19 shirt or try and get the 11 off Gil.

Tottenham Hotspur take on Bayern Munich on Saturday evening in their final pre-season friendly of the summer, and fans may end up getting to see something pretty special, alongside the game.

New signing could be the main attraction

The game, which takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, is likely to see the return of Harry Kane to his boyhood club for the first time since his move to Bayern Munich last summer.

But, a new striker is set to win the hearts of Spurs fans from here on out, as Dominic Solanke‘s switch from Bournemouth nears completion ahead of the new campaign.

And, according to a report from Football.London, the Lilywhites’ new striker might even be in attendance for the fixture against Bayern on Saturday, and the signing could be officially announced in the stadium.

The article reveals that, given Solanke is in North London right now having carried out his medical at the club, an announcement could take place in a more spectacular manner than normally expected.

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Postecoglou has his man

After news emerged last week that Solanke had become Tottenham’s top target for the forward area, Spurs moved fairly quickly to get the deal done.

It is thought the deal is worth an initial £55m with £10m in add-ons (BBC), which falls in line with Bournemouth’s initial valuation of the 26-year-old.

According to The Athletic, Solanke has now put pen to paper on a six-year contract with Spurs and his medical was completed on Friday night.

Ange Postecoglou now finally has the striker he has been targeting all summer.

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Having heard about the analysis the club has carried out to ensure Solanke is the right fit, and the fact that Postecoglou obviously feels he is the best suited to the Spurs system, I am firmly behind this signing.

I can’t wait to see what Solanke can do for us.

According to Express and Star reporter Liam Keen, Tottenham Hotspur had a player plus cash offer for Pedro Neto turned down before Chelsea eventually struck a deal for the Wolves star.

Pedro Neto to Chelsea

Neto now appears to be on his way to Stamford Bridge after Chelsea reportedly agreed a deal worth £51.4m (Fabrizio Romano) for the winger.

This comes as a major blow to Spurs, with various outlets reporting over recent weeks that Ange Postecoglou’s men had identified the Portuguese star as one of their top targets for the wide birth (Telegraph).

In fact, CaughtOffside had even previously reported that Tottenham had spoken to the 24-year-old’s entourage over a switch to North London.

Spurs insider Paul O’Keefe had also said on the Last Word on Spurs that the Lilywhites had reached out to intermediaries over a deal.

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Spurs offer rejected by Wolves

Liam Keen has now taken to social media to explain that Spurs did indeed make an offer for the Wolves star this summer, but to no avail.

He revealed that the North London club offered cash plus Oliver Skipp to Wolves for the former Braga man but the bid was rejected.

The journalist explains that Chelsea also had a player plus cash offer rejected before they concluded a straight-cash deal for Neto.

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The likelihood is that Wolves would have kept Spurs informed about Chelsea’s offers.

The fact that Tottenham did not intervene suggests that they were not convinced that Neto was worth the fee that Chelsea paid for him.

It will be interesting to see which winger the Lilywhites will now turn their attention to.

Tottenham Hotspur have secured the services of a big-money signing ahead of the new Premier League season.

Dominic Solanke is now a Tottenham player

Reports yesterday picked up pace regarding Tottenham’s interest in Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke and by the afternoon the BBC reported that Spurs had agreed a deal worth up to £65million with the Cherries which would see them pay an initial £55m with £10m in add-ons

The Athletic have revealed this morning that Solanke has now completed his transfer to Tottenham having undergone a medical at Hotspur Way and has overnight put pen to paper on a six-year contract with Ange Postecoglou‘s side.

Solanke signs six-year contract with Spurs

The striker enjoyed his best-ever scoring campaign in the Premier League last season having scored 19 times to help Bournemouth to finish in twelfth place in the table.

Solanke missed Bournemouth’s pre-season friendly with Rayo Vallecano last weekend due to a foot injury and now could be in contention to face Leicester City in Tottenham’s first Premier League game of the 2024/25 season.

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The 26-year-old was under contract Vitality Stadium until 2029 but a hefty release clause worth £65million could be triggered by a number of clubs, including Tottenham.

Liverpool hold a 20 per cent sell-on clause after Solanke left to join Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee and could receive as much as £9m from the £65m clause.

Solanke becomes Tottenham’s first natural number nine since the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich last August.

Football Insider claim that Tottenham want to make three new signings before the transfer window closes, including a winger to replace Manor Solomon.

Tottenham are close to landing Solanke

It was reported by The Times on Thursday that Spurs are making progress in their efforts to land Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.

The report suggested that once the Lilywhites get a deal for the Englishman over the line, they are expected to turn their attention to a wide player and a left-back.

The same information has now been backed up by Football Insider, who say that Ange Postecoglou has told the Tottenham hierarchy to bring a winger and a left-back through the door once the Solanke deal is completed.

Spurs want three more signings this summer

Interstingly, it is asserted that despite Richarlison’s recent comments about not wanting to go to Saudi Arabia, the Brazilian is ‘likely’ to be sold to another club if Solanke arrives through the door.

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Once that deal is completed, Spurs are expected to look for a winger, with the club allegedly willing to loan out Manor Solomon.

It is asserted that Tottenham also want to bring another left-back through the door to replace Ryan Sessegnon, who is expected to be followed out of the door by Sergio Reguilon.

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Ange likely wants to use Ben Davies as his fourth-choice centre-back, which is why it makes sense to bring another left-back through the door to cover for Udogie.

As far as the wide role is concerned, it appears that Pedro Neto is Tottenham’s top target at the moment.

Richarlison clearly isn’t leaving, despite this report.

Despite the record-breaking season that Tottenham legend Harry Kane had at the Allianz Arena in 2023-24, Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus does not seem convinced that the Bundesliga giants have got a good deal.

Bayern Munich paid big money for Harry Kane

Bayern reported paid £86.4m plus add-ons to sign Kane from Tottenham last summer, which is a huge amount considering that the striker only had a year left on his contract.

However, the 31-year-old more than repaid the German giants, scoring 31 Bundesliga goals, which is more than any other player has scored in his first season in the competition, finishing the campaign with a whopping 44 goals and 12 assists across all competitions.

On Saturday, Kane will return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since his transfer as Bayern travels to London for a pre-season friendly.

Harry Kane is on a downward curve? Really?

Despite the impressive start that the England captain has made to life in Germany, Matthaus believes that the striker’s best is already behind him.

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The 63-year-old told Bild about Kane: “Despite his 36 goals, the last twelve months have not gone as he had imagined.

“I don’t think he will score 36 goals again.”

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Kane has had to deal with critics and naysayers right the way through his career and he will undoubtedly do the same at Bayern.

There is no doubt that Matthaus and other doubters will eat their words soon.