Wright ‘really pleased’ to see Arsenal-linked striker thrive after being ‘laughed at’ for form at Liverpool
Ian Wright believes Dominic Solanke is the Premier League player of the season and has hailed the Bournemouth striker for being in the form of his career.
Solanke has 12 goals in the Premier League this term. Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have more (14).
Arsenal have been linked with the signing of the former Chelsea and Liverpool youngster, although a January transfer feels very unlikely.
His incredible form is the best Solanke has played in his senior career.
He was brilliant for Chelsea at youth level, winning the top scorer award in the 2014/15 UEFA Youth League and 2014 Under-17 European Championships.
This form for the Blues earned Solanke a move to Liverpool in July 2017 but it didn’t happen for him at Anfield.
In 27 appearances for the Reds, the 26-year-old only scored once, which made his £19million move to Bournemouth in 2019 a confusing one.
Solanke has proved his critics wrong this season, though.
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His rise to form has caught the eye of Arsenal legend Wright, who is “really pleased” the former Liverpool striker is flying at the Vitality Stadium.
“He can do everything,” Wright told Premier League Productions. “Now what he has done is added those goals to his game. He is in those positions where he can now take his chances.
“I am really pleased for him because he is somebody that everybody laughed at. ‘This isn’t great and he is going backwards’.
“There were a lot of people laughing that he didn’t make it after he left Chelsea, massive noise that he is going to be the next one, then he went to Liverpool and it didn’t quite work out.
“He has taken his time at Bournemouth to get where he is. He never stops working – now we are seeing his numbers go up. Perfect.”
On who is player of the season is, Wright added: “I have gone for Dominic Solanke and it’s because of his journey and what he has done.
“He has gone the hard way around to get to where he is now. He is showing people what he is capable of. A proper all-round centre-forward.”
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