Newcastle United endured a dismal end to 2023 and start to 2024 by losing seven from nine matches in all competitions which has left the Magpies 11 points behind the top four already in the Premier League.
Injuries were the catalyst behind the Geordie outfit’s season getting derailed. One of the reasons for Newcastle’s injury woes could be the fact that there are numerous players in the squad on the wrong side of 30.
As a result, head coach Eddie Howe is reportedly looking to add some fresher faces to the side before the January window comes to a close.
Newcastle transfer news – on the hunt for a striker
It was reported by Mike McGrath of The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday afternoon that Newcastle have made an enquiry to Bournemouth about centre-forward Dominic Solanke in the hopes of signing the frontman before the winter market slams shut once more.
While the report doesn’t reveal the Cherries’ asking price, the CIES Football Observatory have placed the striker’s market value at a whopping £34m after a tremendous season in England’s top flight. This is almost double the £19m that Bournemouth paid Liverpool for Solanke back in 2019, although the Reds will earn 20% of any potential sell-on fee.
This past week, the Geordie club were also rumoured to be keeping tabs on Bologna’s star attacker Joshua Zirkzee who is said to have a £34m release clause, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. However, due to having had many years of experience in the Premier League, Solanke could be the obvious choice for a wounded Newcastle.
Dominic Solanke’s stats this season
Having made his debut all the way back in 2014 for Chelsea, Solanke didn’t exactly burst onto the scene and tear the Premier League asunder. In fact, up until the beginning of the 2020/21 season, the Englishman had scored only 12 senior goals, spread across his spells with Vitesse, Liverpool and his first campaign with the Cherries.
However, once the 2020/21 season commenced, Solanke became a different animal. Even football scout Jacek Kulig remarked that the frontman “was written off by many”. Since then, Solanke has found the net 65 times for Bournemouth in all competitions, including a career-high 30 in the 2021/22 campaign as the Cherries were promoted back to England’s top flight.
This term, the 26-year-old is the joint-third top scorer in the Premier League with 12 goals to his name already. Only goal-machines Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have managed to convert more opportunities than the Bournemouth talisman.
Solanke has even scored more league goals than both of Newcastle’s star strikers Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson and Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has described him as a "complete" centre-forward. In all competitions, Isak is the Magpies’ top goalscorer with 13, but time may be running out for Wilson.
Now on the wrong side of 30, the England international has only managed to score once in his last nine appearances for the Toon. Between Wilson and Isak, it looks as though the former is more at risk of losing his place in the squad if Solanke moves to St. James’ Park. Additionally, Solanke has statistically beaten Wilson in the 2023/24 season so far.
Goals
13
8
Expected Goals
11
8.1
Assists
1
1
Expected Assists P/90
0.05
0.03
Shots P/90
3.52
2.99
Goals Per Shot
0.16
0.16
Key Passes P/90
0.74
0.56
Passes To Penalty P/90
0.64
0.09
Stats via FBref
Like Solanke, Wilson also played at the Vitality Stadium, where he scored 67 goals and bagged 30 assists in 187 appearances, before going on to have a wonderful spell in the Northeast after signing on a £20m deal back in 2020. Perhaps Solanke could follow these exact footsteps.
Howe has always preferred having two strikers in his team since arriving at the club, whether it be Wilson and Wood or Isak and Wilson, but it looks as though a passing of the guard could be set to take place in the near future with Solanke.
