Imagining Him & Solanke: Spurs Have the Opportunity to Sign a More Talented Player than Maddison

It had been a relatively quiet transfer window for incomings at Tottenham Hotspur, with Archie Gray the only senior addition, costing Ange Postecoglou’s side roughly £30m from Leeds United.

However, in the last 24 hours, it’s all changed, with the club striker Dominic Solanke on a £65m club-record deal from Bournemouth after his impressive goalscoring campaign in 2023/24.

The Englishman scored 19 goals in his 38 Premier League appearances for Andoni Iraola’s side, helping them secure a 12th-placed finish, an excellent achievement for a club like Bournemouth.

Whilst it may seem like a hefty fee for the 26-year-old, he will provide that cutting edge at the top end of the pitch that the Lilywhites have been lacking since the departure of Harry Kane last summer.

However, despite the big-money transfer, Postecoglou’s side might not be done there, with his side potentially still in the market to sign one young talent.

Tottenham could sign £47m ace this summer

During the off-season, Spurs have been linked with a plethora of attacking talents to try and provide more firepower in their attempts to secure Champions League football in the 2024/25 campaign.

One player touted with a move to North London is French midfielder Desire Doue, with the youngster expected to leave Ligue 1 side Rennes this summer.

However, they are not alone in the hunt for the 19-year-old, with Bayern Munich and PSG also battling to secure the services of a talent who has featured for his nation at the Olympic Games.

Like Solanke, he’s expected to cost a huge sum, especially considering his talent and potential, with Rennes holding out for a fee in the region of £47m to part ways with Doue.

Whilst it would be a risk to spend such a huge fee on another young talent, he’s already showcased the talent possesses, potentially having a greater impact than one current Spurs ace.

Why Doue would a bigger talent than Maddison

After joining from Leicester City last summer, midfielder James Maddison produced a solid first campaign in North London, registering 13 goals contributions in the Premier League.

However, it’s not too far-fetched to say that more was expected of the one-time England international in his first season at the club, with the hope that he can build on his opening season going into 2024/25.

He could potentially see himself lose his starting role should Spurs complete a deal for Doue, with the French youngster producing a whole host of better stats than the Englishman in Ligue 1 despite his tender age.

Whilst he registered slightly fewer combined goals and assists in 2023/24, Doue’s quality is evident with the midfielder excelling with the ball at his feet.

The “elite” Doue, as described by analyst Ben Mattinson, also managed a better goal per shot-on-target ratio than the current Spurs man despite scoring fewer goals, proving that he’s more accurate with his attempts than the Englishman.

Whilst it may be another huge fee to throw at a player after the marquee deal for Solanke, it would undoubtedly be a worthwhile investment, with Doue having the ability to improve further at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He would be able to form a deadly partnership with the incoming striker, whilst also providing an upgrade on the options available to Postecoglou – further increasing the chances of securing Champions League football.