TalkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino has said that a £65m player would be a better fit at Chelsea rather than Tottenham next season amid transfer rumours linking him with both London clubs.
Chelsea are linked in the transfer rumour mill with several different centre-forwards, including one that they’d have to fight with Spurs to sign.
While the Blues continue to search for a long-term striker to fill the void left by the likes of Diego Costa and Didier Drogba, Spurs still have to find a Harry Kane replacement.
TalkSPORT has recently claimed that Chelsea are making the signing of a new striker a priority for them this summer.
It’s the same report that says that Chelsea and Spurs both share an interest in signing Bournemouth’s 26-year-old frontman Dominic Solanke. He would cost them the £65m release clause in his Bournemouth deal, which is only active for the Premier League’s ‘big six’ clubs.
Chelsea a better fit than Spurs
Tony Cascarino claims that Chelsea would be a marginally better fit than Spurs for Dominic Solanke.
The English centre-forward is unlucky not to be picked for this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament after scoring 19 Premier League goals last season.
Cascarino isn’t convinced that the Bournemouth talisman is worth paying £65m for, though.
When asked whether Chelsea or Spurs would be a better fit for Solanke, Cascarino said via talkSPORT (7:43am, 8 June): “I would probably, I am showing my bias here, probably slightly Chelsea.
“I am not sure a club will pay £65m for Dominic Solanke. He had a terrific season. You have had an outstanding season. There’s a much bigger picture there. If you look over his career in total, then Dominic has improved, he got goals in the Championship, he didn’t really in his younger days he didn’t really make it at Liverpool, they let him go, they didn’t think he was good enough. I still think it’s a lot of money for someone that if he had gone in and had two, three seasons scoring at huge amounts, like Ollie Watkins has got goals regularly year by year, increase regularly. I don’t know if we just saw a standout season by Solanke there.
“Not saying he is not a really good player because he has improved a hell of a lot and fair play to him for that. Would I want want to pay £65m? I am not sure Spurs or Chelsea would want to go that deep.”
Dominic Solanke not the answer yet
Solanke, who spent his childhood in Chelsea’s academy, has seen his career slowly take an upwards trajectory year on year.
However, last season was the first time he looked like a really top striker in the Premier League.
If he replicates his success in the top division again next year, top clubs should begin to pay a bit more attention to him.
At the age of 26, he looks like he’s just starting to enter his prime. But how far will he go?