Ange Postecoglou wanted Tottenham to sign Dominic Solanke instead of a better striker

Tottenham made one of the most eyebrow-raising transfers of the summer 2024 window, spending a jaw-dropping 65 million pounds to sign Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke as their new No. 9.

Essentially, Solanke came in as one of the most high-priced strikers in the Premier League in a position occupied by Harry Kane and Son Heung-min in the previous two seasons.

As expected, Solanke has been off to a slow start in front of goal, as his 19 goals for Bournemouth last season were more than triple his previous highest single-season total in the Premier League.

A talented all-around striker, Solanke made up for his lack of goals in previous seasons and was a prolific scorer in the Championship, so his 2023/24 season success might not have been a fluke.

It’s far too early to judge Solanke, as the ketchup could yet rush out of the bottle for the 26-year-old at the center of a more talented Tottenham attack. However, it may be fair to judge Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou for sanctioning a 65 million pound signing that was very questionable at the time.

Postecoglou defended his decision by affirming that he liked the fit and confirmed that he was the one who pushed for Tottenham to sign Solanke in the first place.

That’s all well and good, but some Tottenham supporters may bristle at the other part of the quote, wherein the former Celtic manager states he got Spurs to sign Dominic Solanke over Brentford star Ivan Toney:

“We did look at Ivan Toney but I have said Dom Solanke was the one I wanted at Spurs. It took pretty much the whole summer to get him in because he was the one who fitted the profile of what we were looking for at the time”.

Tottenham, Arsenal, and Chelsea all took serious looks at Toney, who ultimately joined the Saudi Pro League to rake in major wages. But if Spurs want to bring up transfer price as the key issue, Toney was right around the same fee as Solanke’s bloated 65 million.

Further, Toney has been the better player in the Premier League. He nearly led Brentford to European football in the 2022/23 season with 20 goals scored. If you want to go back to the Championship, his best season was better than any of Solanke’s best seasons in the second division, as he once scored 33 goals with 10 assists for the Bees.

Off-field controversy aside, Toney is a better goal-scorer and counterattacking option than Solanke, and it’s hard to find a way in which Solanke fits Tottenham better. Postecoglou may have fallen on his sword for the wrong, overpriced English No. 9.