Tottenham’s decision to smash their transfer record for Dominic Solanke back in 2024 was supposed to solve their striker problem for years to come. Fast forward two years and Spurs are shopping for a new centre-forward again, with plenty of fans wondering if that big-money deal ever paid off.
The striker joined north London off the back of a stunning campaign at Bournemouth, where he’d banged in 19 Premier League goals having never hit more than seven in any previous top-flight season. That surge in form was enough to persuade Tottenham to splash out, with the club convinced he’d finally grown into the player many had tipped him to become during his younger days at Chelsea and Liverpool.
Year one in a Spurs shirt had its moments. Solanke played a genuine part in Tottenham’s unforgettable Europa League run, chipping in with nine goals and three assists across all competitions. Solid enough, but nowhere near what you’d expect from your club-record buy.
Then came season two — and it was a different story entirely.
There were flashes of quality, not least a strong outing in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund, but Solanke just couldn’t string performances together. His form dipped as the campaign wore on, and goals dried up at exactly the wrong time in a tough Premier League season.
When it was all said and done, the 28-year-old had only three league goals to his name and not a single assist — a brutal decline for a striker who was meant to bring both finishing and all-round attacking quality.
Randal Kolo Muani’s loan spell was similarly poor, but because that was only a temporary arrangement, Tottenham could simply let it end. Solanke is a different problem altogether. With roughly £65 million spent to land him, Spurs are locked into a player who hasn’t come close to justifying that outlay.
Fitness issues, patchy finishing, and difficulty getting into good scoring areas have all played their part. The traits that once made him one of the league’s most wanted forwards have largely gone missing since he made the move.
Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival has only made things more complicated. The new boss wants to overhaul Tottenham’s frontline, and reports suggest Bournemouth’s promising young striker Eli Junior Kroupi is on his radar. But bringing in yet another No. 9 would basically be an admission that Solanke never became the answer Spurs hoped for.
It leaves the club in an awkward spot. Solanke can still offer squad depth, but his age limits how much better he’s realistically going to get, and his resale value has almost certainly taken a hit since his Bournemouth days.
Tottenham may now have to fork out for another striker while still footing the bill for their last one. Unless Solanke can rediscover the touch that got him the move in the first place, this deal risks going down as one of the club’s costliest misses in recent memory.
