Tottenham have reportedly been told that they will need to match Dominic Solanke’s £65million release clause if they wish to sign the Bournemouth talisman this summer, a fee that is currently deemed too high by the Spurs brass.
The Mirror claim that Bournemouth are insistent that only Solanke’s release clause paid in full will get them to consider parting ways with the 26-year-old, mindful that Liverpool are set to receive 20 per cent of any profit that the Cherries make on his £19m move to the south coast in 2019.
Reports recently emerged claiming that Solanke was made one of Spurs’ main targets this summer as they look to bolster Ange Postecoglou’s front line. They may need to consider offering players in exchange in order to lower the striker’s current valuation, however.
Solanke scored 19 Premier League goals last season, bettered only by Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak, with Andoni Iraola’s outfit prepared for significant interest in the one-cap England international.
And Spurs are expected to firm up their interest, led by boss Postecoglou. "It's still the area of the park we're really probably the thinnest when I talk about squad-wise at the moment, so obviously that's a focus for us,” the Aussie recently said when asked about the prospect of bringing in another striker.
"At Celtic, I had Kyogo (Furuhashi), who was a sort of out-and-out number nine and in Japan, I've always had a striker. It just depends, like last year we had to be a bit creative, it's fair to say. You know but if Harry (Kane) would have stayed I definitely would have used him!
"So I think for us what's more important is the type of striker we get. You know we play a certain way. We demand certain things from a physical perspective from the technical aspects of it that it's going be a striker that fits that mould."
Some fans have insinuated that “dare to dream” relates to Solanke’s ambitions to play for a team in Europe in the coming season, though there is a significant barrier to overcome in the finances involved.
Spurs likely would be more prepared to shell out for Solanke if they find a buyer for Richarlison, amid interest from Saudi Arabia. Though teams from the Middle East have spent more cautiously than the previous year and links have cooled on the Brazilian leaving north London.