Spurs eyeing “sensational” £65m PL star who could make Solanke even better

Tottenham Hotspur’s campaign seems to be getting worse by the week.

Ange Postecoglou’s side fell to their 12th defeat of the Premier League season yesterday afternoon, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Dominic Solanke had to sit out after being the latest player to join the club’s ever-growing injury list.

The Englishman has been one of the few positives for the Lilywhites this year, as while he hasn’t necessarily been prolific, he has been effective and undoubtedly a good use of £65m.

However, he could be about to reach another level, as recent reports have linked the North Londoners with a Premier League star who’d be an ideal teammate for the talented centre-forward.

Tottenham target Premier League regular

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have maintained their strong interest in Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho.

The report has revealed that should the Red Devils receive a good enough offer for the Argentine this month, whom they value at £65m, they’ll let him leave and that the North Londoners consider him a ‘serious option.’

However, things aren’t necessarily that simple, as Serie A leaders Napoli are also keen to land the dynamic winger, which could prove a problem for the Lilywhites.

In all, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Garnacho’s ability and potential, one worth fighting for, especially as he could help Solanke get even better.

Why Garnacho would improve Solanke

So, to get straight to the point, there is one overarching reason why Garnacho could help make Solanke a better striker for Spurs, and it’s a simple one: his output.

Yes, despite still being just 20 years old, the Madrid-born winger has already proven that he can be an effective attacking outlet in the toughest league in world football.

For example, in 50 appearances last season, the “sensational” talent, as dubbed by journalist Michael Plant, scored ten goals and provided five assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 3.33 games.

Even this year, as everything seems to be going so badly wrong around him, the eight-capped international has scored eight goals and provided five assists in 32 appearances, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.46 games.

Now, it is true that Son Heung-min has scored as many goals and provided two more assists in 27 games this season, but he has played more minutes, and crucially, the South Korean superstar is set to turn 33 this year, and as most fans will likely attest, he does not have the same explosiveness and unpredictability to his game that made him so great in the past.

In contrast, the former Atlético Madrid youth player undoubtedly does have that, and we can see it in his underlying numbers.

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League, he sits in the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers for progressive carries and carries into the final third, the top 10% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area and the top 12% for carries into the penalty area, all per 90.

So, not only is the United gem racking up an impressive amount of goal involvements for someone so young, but he is also progressing the ball up the pitch and into incredibly dangerous areas, which is precisely why Solanke would love playing with him, as he could get himself into positions to exploit this.

Moreover, having a winger as dynamic and unpredictable as Garnacho off the left instead of the ageing Son or ineffective Timo Werner should naturally open up more space for the former Bournemouth poacher, as defenders are forced to mark more than one attacker.

Ultimately, it might not be a deal that wins the fans over right away, but Spurs need a new, exciting option off the left to help Solanke reach another level, and it looks like the United prospect could be the perfect option.