Tottenham Could Make Huge Striker Statement as £65m+ Victor Osimhen Move Puts Dominic Solanke’s Future in Doubt
Tottenham Hotspur could be heading towards one of the biggest decisions of their summer transfer window, with Dominic Solanke’s position at the club potentially under serious threat if they succeed in landing a £65m-plus striker.
Solanke has shown flashes of exactly why Tottenham invested heavily in him, but after two seasons in north London, the England international has yet to consistently deliver the goals expected from a record signing. Now, with Victor Osimhen reportedly emerging as a major target for Roberto De Zerbi, the pressure on Solanke could be about to reach a whole new level.
There is no question that Solanke has quality. His performance in Tottenham’s thrilling 2-2 draw against Manchester City last season demonstrated what he can produce when fully fit and confident. His brilliant double that night provided a reminder of the striker’s ability to punish even the strongest defences.
Unfortunately for Solanke, that performance was not representative of his overall 2025/26 campaign.
The 28-year-old managed just three Premier League goals last season after struggling with fitness, taking his Tottenham league tally to only 12 goals since arriving from Bournemouth for a deal worth around £65m. With such a significant investment made in him, Spurs will understandably want far more from their leading centre-forward.
His wider Premier League record also raises questions. Solanke has scored 41 goals in 176 Premier League appearances, with 19 of those coming during his final season at Bournemouth. While that campaign showed he could potentially become a prolific top-flight striker, his numbers since moving to Tottenham have not reached the level many expected.
And that could leave De Zerbi with a difficult decision to make.
Tottenham’s striker situation is becoming increasingly complicated
The situation becomes even more intriguing when Richarlison’s future is considered.
The Brazilian forward is reportedly attracting attention elsewhere and could leave Tottenham this summer with only a year remaining on his contract. Despite his inconsistent time at the club, Richarlison actually finished last season as Spurs’ leading scorer and has started the current pre-season campaign positively.
He has already found the net against Auckland FC and Chelsea, giving De Zerbi another reason to consider his options before making a final decision on his attacking line.
Solanke, meanwhile, has had a quieter pre-season.
The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker missed the matches against Auckland and Sydney FC as Tottenham carefully managed his workload. He did feature for 45 minutes against MK Dons, but his performance offered little to suggest he is about to explode into life.
Solanke registered only 20 touches during that game and missed a significant opportunity, although his 93 per cent passing accuracy was encouraging.
Against Chelsea, his performance attracted even more criticism, with journalist Alasdair Gold describing him as “anonymous” and giving him a 4/10 rating for his first-half display.
Of course, limited minutes and pre-season fitness must be taken into consideration. However, with the Premier League season rapidly approaching, Spurs cannot afford to enter another campaign without a reliable goalscorer at the heart of their attack.
That is where Victor Osimhen enters the picture.
Osimhen could completely change Tottenham’s attack
Tottenham have already been linked with several attacking reinforcements, including Manchester City’s Savinho and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo.
But Osimhen would represent something entirely different.
According to reports, Tottenham have made initial moves regarding a potential deal for the Nigerian striker, with Spurs reportedly considering an offer of around £55m. Galatasaray, however, are believed to want at least £65m for a player they only signed permanently last year.
The price may be substantial, but Osimhen’s record explains why Tottenham could be willing to make such an investment.
The 27-year-old has been prolific throughout his career in France, Belgium, Italy and Turkey. Despite starting only 19 Turkish Super Lig matches during the 2025/26 campaign, he still scored 15 goals.
His previous loan spell at Galatasaray was even more impressive, with Osimhen scoring 26 goals in just 27 starts during the 2024/25 season.
The contrast with Solanke is striking.
During the same 2025/26 campaign, Solanke managed only three Premier League goals in 13 starts. In his first season at Tottenham, he scored nine league goals in 25 starts.
Osimhen, meanwhile, consistently delivered double figures during his years at Napoli, including an extraordinary combined tally of 41 Serie A goals across his final two seasons in Italy.
There are obvious questions about whether Osimhen can reproduce those numbers in England, but his career record remains extremely impressive. He has scored 173 goals in 298 senior appearances, compared with Solanke’s 107 goals in 335 senior matches.
The numbers tell a powerful story.
Is Solanke’s Tottenham career approaching a crossroads?
Signing Osimhen would not automatically mean Solanke leaves Tottenham. Competition for places could be healthy, and having two high-quality strikers would give De Zerbi significantly greater tactical flexibility.
However, if Spurs are prepared to spend £65m or more on an elite number nine, Solanke’s position would inevitably come under enormous scrutiny.
Tottenham have not had a genuinely world-class striker leading their attack for several years. Osimhen could potentially change that overnight.
For Solanke, meanwhile, the message would be clear: this could be his final opportunity to prove that he deserves to remain Tottenham’s first-choice striker.
If Spurs complete the blockbuster Osimhen deal, the pressure on Solanke will be immense and his Tottenham future could suddenly become one of the biggest stories of the new season.
