Dominic Solanke proves he is right man to fix West Ham United problems
It is no secret that West Ham have suffered from a lack of proper centre-forwards in recent years, having witnessed some tragic players at the club.
The Hammers have been forced to witness the likes of Andy Carroll, Enner Valencia, Emmanuel Emenike, Simone Zaza, Sofiane Feghouli, and now Danny Ings, to name just a few.
Hundreds of millions of Great British Pounds have been spent by the club searching for a 20-goals-a-season poacher to transform football at the London Stadium. But the last striker to make that impact was Marlon Harewood during the 2004/05 season – and that was when the Irons were in the Championship.
Michail Antonio has come the closest to resembling an out-and-out striker, bagging 77 goals in 290 appearances. Jarrod Bowen’s goalscoring prowess has come to the forefront over the last couple of seasons, but he can only be a short-term fix to West Ham’s long-lasting problem.
However, Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke represents a whole other animal in front of goal, especially this season. He has netted a career-best 12 Premier League goals, already doubling his tally from the previous campaign.
It was reported in November that the Hammers were set to revive their interest in the Cherries forward after seeing a £40million bid rejected last summer, according to The Mirror. His performances this season may have bolstered the asking price, though.
West Ham have been dealt a major blow in their chase to sign Solanke, though. Bournemouth owner Bill Foley vowed that his club’s doors “closed and bolted”, implying that the 26-year-old would not be for sale in the January transfer window or during summer, as per talkSPORT.
While his intentions may be true, it is hard to believe that a smaller club such as the Cherries would not be tempted into selling with a colossal bid from West Ham. If they are serious about landing his signature, that is exactly what they will need to do.
And the forward’s most recent attacking display against Nottingham Forest shows why West Ham need to spend big, netting a near-perfect hat-trick in a 3-2 victory.
His first goal was a superb flicked header over Matt Turner, who would have been sick at the sight of him by the end of the game. Despite an xG of just 0.04, Solanke dinked the effort over the goalkeeper to cancel out Anthony Elanga’s opener. [FotMob]
The former Liverpool and Chelsea striker won 75 per cent of his aerial battles on Saturday, with one of them clearly more vital than the others.
Fast-forward just seven minutes and Solanke flipped the game on its head, taking the lead against the 10 men of Forest. The forward showcased his ability to be a poacher, stealing in at the back post following a half-cleared corner.
This chance was much more clear-cut than the first, but instead, showed an entirely different aspect of his game to his opening header. Eight out of his 12 league goals this season have been scored with his right foot, with 11 of them coming inside the box. [FotMob]
There is no surprise that most of his goals come from within the penalty area. And with West Ham searching for a striker, this is the kind of player they need to aim for.
Having scored 29 goals in 46 appearances in 2021/22 as Bournemouth were reinstated into the Premier League, Solanke’s game has not changed much.
However, assists were at the forefront of his 2022/23 season, with the Cherries only able to score 37 goals all season. He was outscored by Philip Billing last season, but led to way in terms of assists with seven, despite an xA of 2.4.
His third, and final, goal against Forest was arguably his most important. Chris Wood had pegged the score back to 2-2 despite Bournemouth boasting a man advantage.
It would have been a massive upset if they had left the City Ground with only one point. Missing the chance to bag the “perfect hat-trick” – left foot, right foot, header – with Harry Toffolo clearing his effort off the line, Solanke stepped up in the fourth minute of injury time.
Like his first header, Solanke’s third goal was mesmerising to watch. He seemed to hang in the air for an eternity, with Turner left to flap at the goalbound effort once again. It too, had an xG of 0.04, attempting the audacious effort from the best part of 12 yards.
The power and precision to beat a goalkeeper from that range with a header is incredible. And to do it in such a vital moment makes it all the more impressive. Murillo and Moussa Niakhate stood no chance.
Unsurprisingly, Solanke was handed the Man of the Match award as well as taking the match ball home. Just imagine the damage he could make at West Ham, with Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta in support.
In other West Ham news, Ally McCoist was wowed by what one “brilliant” Hammers player did against Man United.