Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has said Dominic Solanke’s impending exit will be ‘a big miss’ for the club, as the striker joins Tottenham Hotspur in a club-record deal.
Only earlier in the day had Iraola confirmed talks between the two clubs had taken place, but Mail Sport has confirmed the 26-year-old will be signing for Spurs in a deal worth around £65million, with add-ons.
Solanke was contracted to Vitality Stadium until 2029, but Tottenham have triggered the hefty release clause to bring him north London.
The deal represents a club-record transfer for both clubs.
Speaking to journalists, Iraola said: ‘talks have been happening and this is different from the situation you asked me in the week.’
Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke has signed for Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £65m
Cherries manager Adoni Iraola has said Solanke’s exit would be ‘a big miss’ for the club
‘For us, you know Dom is a very, very important player.’
When asked about his influence on the team, Iraola responded: ‘For sure, everyone probably focuses on the goals he scores for us.
‘Yes, he scores us a big portion of our goals, but he gives us so much more than that.
I think he’s very complete and helps us on all the faces of a game, and will be a big miss – that’s obvious, no?’
Spurs have been keen to strengthen their attacking options this summer and Solanke, who played for Liverpool between 2017 and 2019, emerged as a prime target.
The frontman’s expensive release clause may have been a blocker for other clubs, but it appears to be a price worth paying, for Spurs’ manager, Ange Postecoglou.
Tottenham’s manager Ange Postecoglou wants a natural No 9 to lead Spurs’ forward line
Solanke scored an impressive 19 goals in the Premier League last season, with three assists
After being excluded from England’s Euro squad, it’s believed Solanke was looking for the next step in his career, and a club playing in Europe his favoured destination
And Solanke would be Tottenham’s first natural No 9 since Harry Kane departed in a sensational move to Bayern Munich, last summer.
He scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season, which pushed Bournemouth to an impressive 12th-placed finish.
Liverpool hold a 20 per cent sell-on clause after Solanke left to join Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee, and could receive as much as £9million from the £65million clause.