Bournemouth are set for a massive profit and a club record fee for Dominic Solanke after reports they have agreed terms on a sale to Tottenham – but are said to be frustrated by the circumstances of the move.
The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker had told Bournemouth earlier in the summer that he would be interested in pursuing potential bigger opportunities after five and a half increasingly productive years at the club.
Solanke arrived from Liverpool in January 2019 and has scored 77 times in 216 appearances, with his 19-goal Premier League tally – one every other game for the ever-present striker – comfortably his best output in the top flight.
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Bournemouth unhappy at timing of Dominic Solanke departure
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is now a striker short heading into the season (Image credit: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Now coming into his prime years with his 27th birthday just a few weeks away, there was always a chance that Solanke would attract interest from one of the Premier League’s big boys.
But if the Daily Mirror are to be believed, Bournemouth are rather disgruntled that Tottenham have waited until this close to the start of the new season to make their move for Solanke.
They write that there is ‘some frustration’ at the timing, just as Bournemouth were starting to feel genuinely optimistic that they might be able to hold onto their star asset. We presume therefore that Bournemouth will not themselves be on the lookout for any new signings of their own despite Solanke’s departure, given that it’s so close to the start of the season and would disrupt other teams’ plans for the new season and everything.
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Richarlison wants to stay put at Tottenham despite an offer from Saudi Arabia (Image credit: Getty Images)
Intriguingly, the Mirror add that ‘Spurs have made their move in light of Richarlison’s decision to remain in north London despite a lucrative approach from the Saudi Pro League’.
Perhaps we’re reading too much into that, but it might suggest that Tottenham were waiting to see exactly what kind of budget they would have for their belated Harry Kane replacement a year on from selling him to Bayern Munich.
At the £55m plus £10m in add-ons that has been reported, Solanke would be Tottenham’s most expensive ever signing, topping the £62.5m they paid for, erm, Tanguy Ndombele, and would crush Bournemouth’s record for a sale: the £40m they got from Manchester City for Nathan Ake.
Liverpool are meanwhile reportedly set to receive a £10m cut from Bournemouth as part of a sell-on clause agreed in the move that took Solanke away from Anfield.
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