Ian Wright believes Arsenal have missed a trick by not moving to beat Tottenham to the signing of Dominic Solanke after explaining why he believes the former Bournemouth striker could end up proving one of the best signings of the entire summer transfer window.
Spurs have made giant strides under Ange Postecoglou since the affable Aussie took charge in N17, having steered Tottenham to a fifth-placed finish during his first season at the helm. That was arguably better than many supporters may have expected following the high-profile departure of talismanic striker and their all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich in a deal ultimately worth a club-record £100m.
However, Spurs defied that loss by moving Son Heung-min to a more central role, though it soon became apparent that the South Korean’s best position remains on the left-side of the attack.
And while the divisive Richarlison also contributed a little more than he had the previous season, it was always felt his was a position that Tottenham would look to upgrade on this summer, with the Brazilian striker only managing 15 goals in 66 appearances for the club.
Having been linked with a number of options, including the likes of Jonathan David, Santiago Gimenez and Ivan Toney, Postecoglou ultimately settled on Solanke, triggering the £65m clause in his deal to bring the former Chelsea and Liverpool striker to north London.
That said, there are still reports suggesting Postecoglou could look to bring in another front man and create a dazzling new-look front four.
Ian Wright on why Arsenal should have signed Tottenham new boy Solanke
Solanke will be under pressure to hit the ground running, but having scored 21 times in 42 appearances last season, Cole Palmer of Chelsea was the only Englishman to outscore him last season in the top flight of English football, and there will be confidence within both the Tottenham ranks and from the player himself that the move will prove a success.
Former Arsenal hero Wright is also backing Solanke to prove a big hit and feels Arsenal – themselves in the market for a new striker this summer after putting Eddie Nketiah up for sale – have missed a trick by not trying to hijack the once-capped England striker’s move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Solanke has signed a deal with Spurs to 2030 and, in reviewing Arsenal’s summer transfer window, popular pundit Wright told The Overlap:
“I’m really happy with how pre-season has gone and getting in [Riccardo] Calafiori,” Wright began.
“I know there’s something else in the works for Arsenal, they’re going to try and do something and they have to. They need to get 90 plus points.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville then asked Wright if he was shocked by Arsenal’s failure to try and snap up Solanke for themselves.
He added: “You know, I wouldn’t have been too… that wouldn’t have bothered me if they went for Solanke.
“With [Gabriel] Jesus and [Gabriel] Martinelli, they lost their place last season but we can probably get the goals from them if they get back to where we know they can be.
“They’re better than they showed last season.”
Arsenal to give £65m man central role?
Wright, though, is backing Solanke to thrive at Tottenham and feels he may prove one of the ‘signings of the season’.
“Dominic Solanke could be the signing of the season at £65m,” Wright predicted. “I like that move and I like the way he plays. I think, if he doesn’t get injured, then he will score lots of goals for them.”
Solanke, who made his one England appearance in 2017, is Tottenham’s fourth summer signing following Yang Min-hyuk, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.
“‘It’s a magnificent club, a huge club with ambitions that match mine, so I’m delighted to start and meet all the boys and get started,” he said.
