Fabrizio Romano: Tottenham are closing in on “really massive” signing after “private” talks

Tottenham is on the verge of securing the “really massive” signing of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, following a series of private negotiations, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.

The Lilywhites have identified the England international as their top choice for the striker role and have reached an agreement on a £65 million deal for the former Chelsea and Liverpool forward, who netted 19 Premier League goals for the Cherries last season.

After days of discussions between the clubs, Romano has disclosed that a breakthrough was achieved through secret talks, allowing all parties to come to a mutually satisfying agreement.

Solanke is set to join Tottenham on a six-year contract.

After negotiations with Bournemouth, the seaside club has agreed to sell their star striker Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record fee. This move secures manager Ange Postecoglou his top striker target for the new season.

Solanke, who was “desperate” to join Spurs, is eager to prove himself as a top-tier striker after narrowly missing out on a spot in the England squad for Euro 2024, despite being the third-highest scoring English striker last season, only behind Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins.

The 26-year-old has agreed to a six-year contract with Tottenham and has already signed the deal, with an official announcement expected soon. Fabrizio Romano provided insights into how the deal materialized during his Playback stream.

“Tottenham are advancing on a deal to sign Dominic Solanke. Many people denied it, some speculated about Ivan Toney, and others said there were no contacts between Tottenham and Bournemouth—no bid, no negotiations,” Romano shared. “The truth is that things were happening behind the scenes. Tottenham were working in a secretive way to secure Solanke, and today the deal is done. This is an exclusive story confirmed—Dominic Solanke is the new striker. Ange Postecoglou will have his man. The deal is done for £65 million guaranteed.”

Romano clarified that while the deal includes add-ons, many of them are easily achievable. “From what I’m hearing, it’s around £57 million plus add-ons. This will be massive—really massive. Solanke will be an important signing for Spurs.”

With Solanke’s arrival, Brazilian striker Richarlison, who has been linked with a move away from Tottenham, particularly to Saudi Arabia, but recently denied any interest in leaving, is expected to compete with Solanke for the starting spot this season.

Heung-Min Son, Brennan Johnson, and Timo Werner are also capable of playing in the striker role, while young talent Mikey Moore, who impressed in pre-season, could also see first-team minutes this season.