Dominic Solanke is ‘nothing special’, says Tottenham hero

Rafael Van der Vaart, a cult hero at Tottenham Hotspur, has criticised the club's recent spending in the transfer market, particularly targeting the £65 million acquisition of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.

The former Spurs and Real Madrid star argues that such exorbitant fees are indicative of a troubling trend in English football, where clubs are overpaying for players who, in his view, do not warrant such high valuations.

The £65 million fee surpasses the previous record for a Tottenham signing, set when the club spent £55 million on Tanguy Ndombele in 2019. In addition to Solanke, Spurs have also spent £30 million on Archie Gray, a young talent from Leeds United who had only one Championship season under his belt, and £25 million on winger Wilson Odobert from Burnley.

Dominic Solanke is ‘nothing special’, says Tottenham hero

Van der Vaart’s critique focuses on what he perceives as an inflationary bubble in transfer fees, particularly for players who he considers to be "nothing special." He expressed his concerns in an interview with Metro, stating:

"I have a lot of problems with the money these days, especially in England. For really, really normal players, you guys pay 50, 60 million pounds. It is unbelievable."

"When I see a transfer for that money, I already think it is unwise. Because I don’t believe Solanke gets 40 goals. For that money, that is what you should be looking for. It is too much for a normal player."

However, it is important to consider that Solanke had a standout season with Bournemouth, scoring 19 goals in the Premier League. Such performances inevitably lead to inflated transfer fees, especially when a player is viewed as a key asset to their former club.

Nowadays, it is very difficult to secure the signing of a good player without reaching those figures, not due to the player's talent itself, but because of the fierce competition among major clubs. A perfect example is PSG’s signing of Randal Kolo Muani, who cost around €90 million from Eintracht Frankfurt.