BonusCodeBets had the pleasure of catching up with former Liverpool winger John Barnes who shared his immediate thoughts on the news that Tottenham have agreed terms with Bournemouth for striker Dominic Solanke. Solanke was a former Liverpool striker so who better than Barnes himself to give us an insight into the Bournemouth striker.
Last season was a breakout season for 26 year old striker Dominic Solanke who scored 19 Premier League goals last season for Bournemouth. Solanke, according to reports, has a release clause of £65m that is only applicable to certain clubs according to reports. Solanke’s departure departure would represent a club-record sale for Bournemouth, surpassing the £45m Manchester City paid for another former Chelsea academy graduate in Nathan Ake in the summer of 2020.
Solanke started his football journey in the Chelsea youth academy, where he quickly stood out as a prolific scorer. He played a key role in Chelsea’s success in youth competitions, including the UEFA Youth League, where he was the top scorer and instrumental in securing the title for his team. Barnes reflects on Solanke’s earlier stages of his career and how some of those struggles have enabled him to grow as a footballer.
“I don’t think Solanke was of the level to be the main striker at Liverpool after his move from Chelsea even if that’s what he was striving for. He wasn’t given an opportunity to show what he can do and maybe it wasn’t his level at the time.
“He’s shown now that he can be a good Premier League striker where he will be the main man and he’s showing what he can do. The pressure of having to do that at Liverpool and Chelsea at that young age was probably too much for him.”
After making a handful of senior appearances for Chelsea, Solanke was loaned to Dutch club Vitesse during the 2015-16 season to gain first-team experience. He performed well in the Eredivisie, scoring seven goals in 25 appearances. Despite this, upon returning to Chelsea, Solanke struggled to break into the first team and eventually decided to move to Liverpool in 2017.
At Liverpool, Solanke found opportunities limited, scoring just once in the Premier League during his time there. Seeking more regular playing time, he transferred to Bournemouth in January 2019 for a reported fee of £19 million. Initially, Solanke took some time to adapt, but he gradually became a key player for Bournemouth, especially in their campaign to return to the Premier League. Solanke scored an impressive 29 goals during his last season in the Championship for Bournemouth. Barnes can now see a huge difference in Solanke and believes he now carries himself like a veteran in the Premier League
“Now that he’s settled that he can be a very good Premier League player in a team that’s surviving in the league, he’s playing with confidence and showing what he can do.
“He’s good. He’s made a lot of progress since his debut. He looks like a veteran in the Premier League. I like him a lot.”
