Dominic Solanke verdict shared on Sky Sports after West Ham United transfer news
Andoni Iraola has played down the links between Dominic Solanke and West Ham United, insisting the forward is “very happy” at Bournemouth.
The Hammers have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old as David Moyes looks to add to his striking options, with reports emerging that the Cherries knocked back a bid of £40million from the Irons last summer [Sunday Mirror, 19 November].
While Bournemouth will be very keen to not lose their main source of goals midway through the season, Iraola has admitted that Solanke deserves the recognition, but remains confident that his striker is more than happy on the south coast.
As shared by Sky Sports (23 November) he said: “I think it is very good, he deserves some recognition. He’s the first one to work, the first one to try and help his teammates and it’s not like he has played the last two or three games well.
“I think he has been very consistent in his performances and he really deserves all the recognition. I think he’s really happy here, he has shown it by renewing his contract not so much time ago, so I think it’s really nice for us.”
Might be expensive
The January transfer window is one that very rarely offers great value for money, with selling sides not keen to lose their best players midway through a season and buying teams being forced to pay over the odds to ensure that a deal is completed.
If a player is desperate to force a move through however and really wants to depart a side, that can sometimes make it easier for a transfer to be completed. Sadly for West Ham, that doesn’t seem to be the case here Solanke seems very happy with Bournemouth.
Admittedly, Iraola is unlikely to ever come out and say that his striker desperately wants to join the Hammers, but Solanke’s happiness on the south coast, partnered with the fact his contract runs until 2027 will ensure any deal will be very expensive.
West Ham need more forward options at the London Stadium, but after spending heavily to rebuild their midfield in the summer, it feels unlikely they will shell out upwards of £40 million to try and tempt Solanke away from the Vitality Stadium.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are expected to challenge Tottenham for the signature of Bryan Cristante this January