Eddie Howe has reportedly made a move to bring in a new striker this summer as Newcastle United found themselves in desperate need of more striker options this season.
It is imperative that Newcastle don't begin next season with just two strikers in the first-team squad after falling foul of that very problem several times this season.
Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson were like a fitness tag team at points throughout this campaign with one picking up an injury just as the other was coming back to fitness. There were a few games when both were down, too, and that's the problem Eddie Howe needs to avoid next season.
Now GiveMeSport are reporting that Newcastle have made contact with Bournemouth over a move for Dominic Solanke who has been in superb form for Bournemouth this season.
Solanke who was hailed as 'unbelievable' by former Cherries boss and Newcastle player, Scott Parker, has 18 Premier League goals this season and has helped Bournemouth into the top half of the Premier League table. His form is attracting a lot of interest from other Premier League sides.
It was Eddie Howe who brought the former Liverpool striker to Bournemouth for £19million when he was just 21 years old.
It took Solanke a long time to find his feet on the South Coast with it taking 39 Premier League games before he found the back of the net for the first time.
GiveMeSport claim that Newcastle have made contact to see if Solanke would contemplate a move to the North East. It would see him follow in the footsteps of Callum Wilson who came from Bournemouth to become a cult hero on Tyneside, despite his Newcastle career being plagued by injury.
This has been by far Solanke's best season in the Premier League and Newcastle need to be sure that it wasn't just a one-off before making their move, especially as Solanke could actually be a replacement for Wilson who looks to be on his way out of the club.
That would leave Newcastle needing an additional striker as well as Solanke, and if he's not firing next season like he has been in this campaign it could be a big problem for Eddie Howe depending on what sort of fee we'd have to pay for Solanke.
The report even suggests a swap deal involving Wilson for Solanke which would be interesting, but unlikely.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
14 | 18 | 35 |
2 |
Chelsea
|
15 | 17 | 31 |
3 |
Arsenal
|
15 | 14 | 29 |
4 |
Manchester City
|
15 | 6 | 27 |
5 |
Nottingham Forest
|
15 | 1 | 25 |
6 |
Aston Villa
|
15 | 0 | 25 |
7 |
Brighton
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
8 |
Bournemouth
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
9 |
Brentford
|
15 | 3 | 23 |
10 |
Fulham
|
15 | 2 | 23 |
11 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
15 | 12 | 20 |
12 |
Newcastle United
|
15 | -2 | 20 |
13 |
Manchester United
|
15 | 1 | 19 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
15 | -8 | 18 |
15 |
Everton
|
14 | -7 | 14 |
16 |
Leicester
|
15 | -9 | 14 |
17 |
Crystal Palace
|
15 | -6 | 13 |
18 |
Ipswich
|
15 | -13 | 9 |
19 |
Wolves
|
15 | -15 | 9 |
20 |
Southampton
|
15 | -20 | 5 |