Now the dust has settled, it would probably be fair to describe Ange Postecoglou’s first Premier League season in charge of Tottenham Hotspur as a success.
The Australian managed to lead a Harry Kane-less side to Europa League qualification despite six teams scoring more than them and seven sides letting in fewer goals to boot.
However, with Champions League qualification the aim next season, Daniel Levy and Co have to step up and provide the manager with a proven goalscorer, and based on recent reports, they may just do that, which could be bad news for Richarlison.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have prioritised signing a ‘marquee’ striker this summer after failing to adequately replace Kane last year, and one of the players they are interested in is Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke.
Although a potential price is not mentioned in this story, a Football Insider report from earlier this year revealed that an offer in the region of £50m would likely be enough to tempt the Cherries into selling their star striker.
It wouldn’t be a cheap deal to complete, but with how well the former Liverpool man has played this season and how effective he’s looked in front of goal, it seems like one worth pursuing.
How Solanke compares to Richarlison
Now, as much as Richarlison has improved this season under Postecoglou, when it comes to what matters most for a striker – scoring goals – he’s been a clear second-best to Solanke for several years now.
For example, this season, the “dream” centre-forward, as described by former boss Gary O’Neil, has racked up a seriously impressive haul of 21 goals and four assists in 42 games, meaning he’s averaged a goal involvement every 1.68 games. In contrast, the Brazilian’s output of 12 goals and four assists in 31 games comes out to a goal involvement every 1.93 games on average.
It’s not just been this year, though, as the Basingstoke-born forward managed to bag seven goals and seven assists in 35 games for a relegation-threatened Cherries outfit last season, while the former Everton man managed just three goals and four assists in as many games for a much better Spurs team.
|
Solanke vs Richarlison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
22/23 |
||
|
Appearances |
35 |
35 |
|
Goals |
7 |
3 |
|
Assists |
7 |
4 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.40 |
0.20 |
|
23/24 |
||
|
Appearances |
42 |
31 |
|
Goals |
21 |
12 |
|
Assists |
4 |
4 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.59 |
0.51 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
It’s not just the apparent difference in their ability to put the ball in the back of the net that makes the “absolutely massive” poacher, as O’Neil dubbed him, a more attractive prospect; it’s also his availability.
Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the 26-year-old marksman has shown remarkable resilience, missing just nine games of football through injury, or an average of 2.25 a season. In contrast, the 48-capped Brazilian has missed 36, which comes out to an average of nine per season.
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The all action midfielder would perfectly compliment the South Korean.
Ultimately, while Richarlison might have the higher profile in world football thanks to his international exploits when it comes to pure goalscoring, there is no competition, and with Postecoglou desperately in need of someone able to reliably find the back of the net, signing Solanke feels like a no-brainer.