Several young English forwards - including Tammy Abraham, Patrick Bamford, and Ollie Watkins - spent years gaining vital experience in the Championship.
They refined their predatory instincts in that competitive environment, before going on to have successful campaigns in the Premier League.
Dominic Solanke netted 15 and 29 goals across two seasons in the English second tier, adding a ruthless edge to his game. And his current performances showcase the significant strides he has taken in his career.
Solanke’s brace against Newcastle United this past week put him on six league goals for the season, equalling his best scoring season in the top flight. His goals helped beat the high-flying Magpies, and moved Bournemouth out of the Premier League bottom three.
The former Chelsea youth product has now scored more than 50% of his team's goals this season, highlighting Andoni Iraola’s reliance on him. But clubs at the bottom of the table struggle for goals, so that is a good problem to have as long as he can stay fit.
Solanke is now on track to score 15+ goals, and his reliability in front of goal will be critical to his team's Premier League survival.
Dominic Solanke Transfer Value - how much is he worth?
According to our player valuation model, Solanke has a current Expected Transfer Value (xTV) of €28.8million. The England international’s market worth has been constantly on the rise since his move from Liverpool in 2019, as he continued to play regular minutes.
Some questioned if the €20m that the Cherries parted with to sign him was excessive, but instead it is now looking like great value. Reliable Premier League goalscorers are rare - even more so if they are homegrown.
With a contract until the summer of 2027, it will now take a significant sum to prise him away from the south coast.
What's changed this season for Solanke?
In his man-of-the-match performance against Newcastle, Solanke created three chances, made 45 off-the-ball runs and engaged in 17 duels. All of that was on top of the goal contributions.
That is Solanke in a nutshell - fast and powerful in the channels, and using his frame to pin defenders, win duels and bring other players into play. This profile of a multi-dimensional pressing forward makes him a perfect fit for Iraola’s system.
So far this season, Solanke has scored 0.50 goals per 90 minutes, outperforming his Expected Goals (xG) of 0.45 per 90. The 26-year-old also ranks third for forwards in terms of big chances converted. His 71% conversion rate is bettered by only Heung-min Son and Mohamed Salah.
But it is not just his finishing that has improved.
Compared to last season, Solanke’s xG figure has gone up significantly, while his xG per shot figure has shot up from 0.12 to 0.16. This points to him getting into better goalscoring positions and receiving higher quality chances.
The striker also has the instincts to anticipate and attack loose balls, and his ability to then quickly get shots away makes him a solid box threat. This was on display for his goals against Newcastle and West Ham this season.
"On the spot again" 👏
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 11, 2023
TWO goals for Dominic Solanke ✅✅ pic.twitter.com/Qb4T9bbGcc
Last season, Solanke provided an impressive seven assists, but he has only set up a solitary goal this campaign. This is despite him making almost twice the number of key passes per 90 minutes. It seems only a matter of time before we see him get more recognition for the creative side of his game.
No other Englishman has scored more non-penalty Premier League goals than Solanke this season. But despite some shouts for an England recall, the Bournemouth number nine was notably absent from Gareth Southgate's recent selection.
If he stays on track and keeps delivering, he will have more than an outside chance of making it into England’s Euros squad next summer.
More from Sporting Life
- Fixtures, results and live scores
- Expert xG analysis and features
- Transfer news and done deals
- Football and other sports tips
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
