West Ham: Irons “enquire” about Dominic Solanke

The Bournemouth forward has been one of the standout performers for his side since putting pen to paper.

West Ham United have made a phone call to “enquire” about Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke and have already received a response, according to The Evening Standard’s Dom Smith.

When did Dominic Solanke join Bournemouth?

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The Premier League centre-forward first arrived at the Vitality Stadium from Liverpool back in 2019 and since then has gone on to become an integral member of their first-team squad, clocking up a total of 174 appearances during his four years on the south coast.

England’s former youth international still has another three years to run on his contract with Andoni Iraola’s side, but having emerged as their second-highest goalscorer in the top-flight last season, his impressive performances have alerted the board at the London Stadium.

Football Insider recently reported that the Irons, specifically David Moyes and Tim Steidten, have earmarked the 25-year-old as an ideal replacement for Gianluca Scamacca who has now completed his move to Atalanta.

However, if the following update is to be believed, whilst contact has since been made, it’s unlikely that a deal will take place having had a change of heart after learning what the conditions of the deal would look like.

Are West Ham signing Dominic Solanke?

Taking to Twitter, Smith revealed that West Ham have spoken to Bournemouth to see whether they would be open to selling Solanke this summer, but were met with the firm stance that he wasn’t in the shop window, and E20 chiefs weren’t happy with the price tag that was brought up in conversation

“I understand a West Ham representative phoned AFC Bournemouth on Friday 28 July to enquire about Dominic Solanke availability. #AFCB said he is not for sale, and #WHUFC were put off by their valuation of him so made no bid. Hammers in [the] market for a striker after Scamacca [joined] Atalanta.”

How many goals has Dominic Solanke scored?

In the Premier League last season, Solanke racked up an impressive 13 goal contributions (seven assists and six goals) in 33 appearances, which shows how prolific the striker can be, so the fact that West Ham have walked away from this deal may be a huge mistake.

The Reading-born talent, who’s sponsored by Adidas, also recorded a total of 76 shots over the course of the campaign which was more than any other of his fellow teammates, via FBRef, highlighting his constant desire to find the back of the net.

Bournemouth’s £50k-per-week earner is also a versatile operator with his ability to be deployed everywhere across the frontline and even as an attacking midfielder, so he would have been a fantastic option for the Scottish boss to have at his disposal.

Furthermore, Solanke has “excellent” hold up play and movement in and around the opposition’s penalty area, according to journalist Josh Bunting, but this is yet another attractive attribute that the club will have to cope without having immediately rejected the thought of an offer meaning that they are now likely to turn their attention towards other targets.