Spurs line up last-gasp bid for £50k-p/w Son partner who’s like Kane

Ahead of the start of the January transfer window, the suggestion was that Tottenham Hotspur were looking to sign a new centre-back and a striker this month, with strength in depth needed in those areas, in particular, heading into the second half of the season.

There may be those feeling that those gaps have now been plugged following the additions of Genoa defender, Radu Dragusin and RB Leipzig forward, Timo Werner, with Ange Postecoglou having got his business done early to avoid a mad late scramble.

That being said, the jury is out on whether Werner – who scored just ten Premier League goals in two seasons during his time at Chelsea – is the clinical striking solution that Spurs are craving, with the German having thus far featured off the left against both Manchester United and Manchester City of late.

With it looking as if the 27-year-old is viewed as more of an option from the flanks than through the middle by Postecoglou, there is a case to be made that the signing of a centre-forward is still needed before tomorrow’s deadline, with the club yet truly fill the void of club record goalscorer, Harry Kane.

Richarlison, to his credit, has stepped up of late with six goals from his last six league games, yet after scoring just once last season in the top flight during his debut campaign, the mercurial Brazilian is hardly the most reliable goalscoring presence for the Lilywhites.

With that in mind, speculation is growing that the north Londoners could make one last big move in the winter market by snapping up a Premier League-proven striker over the next 24 hours or so.

Spurs plotting bid for Premier League star

There had been claims made earlier this month that Daniel Levy and co were among the clubs interested in signing Ivan Toney from Brentford following the 27-year-old’s return from suspension, although it is another English talent who appears to have caught the eye of late.

According to a report from The Sun, Spurs are considering making a late swoop for AFC Bournemouth talisman, Dominic Solanke and are said to be ‘ready to push through’ a £50m-plus deal for the former Liverpool and Chelsea man.

The piece notes that the Cherries have already knocked back an enquiry from Newcastle United regarding the 26-year-old’s availability, although Tottenham are keen to ‘test the resolve’ of the south coast side by making a sizeable offer.

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The Brazilian dynamo has been in fine form of late but Tottenham will still push for a new centre-forward.

The suggestion is that Andoni Iraola’s side are already looking at potential replacements for the one-cap England international – who is valued at €40m (£34m) by CIES Football Observatory – thus hinting that an exit for Solanke could be on the cards before the deadline slams shut.

How Dominic Solanke compares to Kane

The Lilwyhites are no doubt hoping to recreate the partnership involving last season’s 30-goal hero, Kane and current skipper, Heung-min Son, the pair combining for 47 goals prior to the Englishman’s exit in the summer – the best record of any duo in Premier League history.

With Kane operating as the clinical yet creative presence through the middle, Son could provide that devastating outlet off the left, albeit while having since largely operated in a more central role this term prior to Richarlison’s recent renaissance.

That shift to operating as an unorthodox number nine has worked nicely for the South Korean star, as his 12 league goals can attest to, yet getting the 31-year-old back onto his natural home on the left could prove fruitful – hence the need to snap up a number nine like Solanke.

A notable benefit of signing the £50k-per-week menace would be his apparent likeness to Kane, with that comparison having been made by his former Bournemouth teammate, Charlie Daniels, who noted the “similarities” between the pair:

“Dom combines the role of a No 9 and a No 10, a bit like Harry does. He wants to stretch the game in behind but can also receive it to feet. His movement’s the same as Harry’s and they’ve the same intelligence.

“They both hold the ball up, they’re quite strong. Harry’s a more natural finisher but you can see the similarities.”

Like Kane – who has previously been dubbed “a complete all-round player” by ex-Spurs boss Harry Redknapp – Solanke has more to his game than simply putting the ball in the back of the net, with journalist James Nalton describing him as a “proper roaming forward” in the past.

With the £50m man dropping deep – in a manner akin to Kane – it could give Son the license and space to get in behind, thus reviving a tactic that has been so fruitful for Tottenham in years gone by.

Dominic Solanke’s season by numbers

For all those similarities, Solanke does still have a way to go before he hits the levels of his prolific compatriot, with the in-demand talent boasting just 22 top-flight goals in his career to date – Kane had already surpassed that tally by the end of 2014/15.

That being said, it is hard to ignore the impact that the Cherries star is having this season under Iraola, having netted 12 times and contributed one assist in 20 league outings, taking on Kane’s mantle of being the highest-scoring Englishman in the competition.

Such a stellar tally notably includes a dazzling hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest last month, while he was also central to Iraola’s side romping to a 3-0 win away at Old Trafford in early December, running the home defence ragged and getting on the scoresheet.

That dominant showing led pundit Owen Hargreaves to suggest that Solanke would be a welcome addition for United, while his manager subsequently lauded him as a “really complete player” having been “really dangerous” up against Erik ten Hag’s men.

Evidently not overawed by the big stage, Solanke could therefore be the perfect figure to slot into Postecoglou’s title-chasing outfit, with Levy able to end the window with a bang by bringing the next Kane to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.