Tottenham Hotspur made a record investment of £65 million to acquire Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth this summer, aiming to address the void left by Harry Kane’s departure. Despite the high expectations, former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand has advised Solanke to stay true to himself and not get caught up in comparisons with Kane.
Ferdinand, who had a successful stint with Tottenham, believes that Solanke should focus on his own abilities rather than trying to fill Kane’s shoes. He highlighted Solanke’s impressive performance for Bournemouth, where he netted 19 league goals last season, as evidence of his capability to score goals in the Premier League. Ferdinand stressed that Solanke’s primary task should be to continue doing what he does best—scoring goals—without feeling the need to be like Kane or any other player.
Ferdinand also addressed the added pressure of expectations that come with being Tottenham’s main striker. He acknowledged that while the expectations at Tottenham are high, they are not dissimilar to the pressure Solanke faced at Bournemouth, where he was crucial for the team’s survival in the Premier League. Ferdinand expressed his satisfaction with Tottenham’s choice of Solanke, noting that he is well-suited to be the team’s leading goal-scorer and has already demonstrated his ability to handle such responsibilities.
Currently, Solanke is dealing with an ankle injury that has kept him out of Tottenham’s last two matches. Head coach Ange Postecoglou is expected to provide an update on Solanke’s fitness ahead of the upcoming north London derby.