Tottenham 'unlikely' to fork out club-record fee for 19-goal attacker

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that signing a new number nine is a "focus" for his side in the summer transfer window, as they did not directly replace Bayern Munich-bound Harry Kane last year.

Tottenham's attacking search has apparently led them to take an interest in Bournemouth hitman Solanke, who unexpectedly blossomed into one of the Premier League's top marksmen in 2023-24.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool product amassed 19 goals in the most recent top-flight campaign, form which has inevitably earned him glances from European-competing and Champions League-chasing clubs.

Solanke's contract at the Vitality Stadium runs until the summer of 2027, although he possesses a release clause of a reported £65m, albeit one that can only be triggered by a select group of clubs.

Tottenham 'unlikely' to meet Solanke clause

It has not been specified which calibre of teams can activate that option, but it is likely to be Premier League Big Six sides or other teams in UEFA competitions, meaning that Tottenham fit the bill.

Should the Lilywhites trigger that clause, Solanke would become the club's all-time record signing, surpassing the £55.5m that Spurs paid to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon five years ago.

However, The Mirror claims that Tottenham are 'unlikely' to make Solanke their record transfer, posing a problem for the North London giants, as Bournemouth are demanding the full £65m to let him go.

The Cherries will not relent on their stance due to the fact that Liverpool - who sold Solanke to Bournemouth for £18.1m in 2019 - are set to receive 20% of any profit that their South Coast counterparts make.

As a result, the report suggests that Tottenham could try to strike a player-plus-cash deal for the Basingstoke-born forward, who has also been linked with a move to either Arsenal or Chelsea.

However, the Gunners are no longer prioritising the signing of a number nine this summer, while the Blues have seemingly turned their attention to Napoli and Nigeria talisman Victor Osimhen instead.

How is Tottenham's attack shaping up for 2024-25?

Tottenham did not let Kane go without bolstering their attack, but young South American Alejo Veliz is yet to make his mark under Postecoglou and also endured a troubled loan spell at Sevilla in the second half of last season.

Veliz may leave on another temporary deal before the window closes, and Postecoglou instead relied on Richarlison and Son Heung-min to lead the attacking charge last season, but both men are also facing uncertain futures.

Son is now in the last 12 months of his deal, which includes an option to extend until the summer of 2026, while Richarlison has been heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Lille's Jonathan David, Brentford's Ivan Toney and Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez have been mentioned as alternative attacking options for Tottenham, who suffered a 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in Saturday's friendly in Seoul.