Dominic Solanke is yet to score for Eddie Howe’s Cherries since his £19m move from Premier League leaders Liverpool 11 months ago.
With almost every game that goes by, Liverpool’s decision to sell Dominic Solanke to Bournemouth for just shy of £20 million looks like nothing short of a masterstroke.
The Premier League leaders are the kings of the transfer market these days and, when they are not unearthing superstars-in-waiting like Mo Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino, they are flogging their damaged goods to unsuspecting customers.
In the last few seasons, Liverpool have found willing buyers for Jordon Ibe, Brad Smith, Kevin Stewart, Christian Benteke, Mamadou Sakho and Danny Ward – all the while raising in and around £100 million for players Jurgen Klopp had absolutely no use for.
And Liverpool jumped at the chance to cash in once Bournemouth made it clear they were willing to cough up a club-record fee for a striker who scored once in 27 matches at Anfield.
Sure enough, 11 months after swapping Merseyside for the South Coast, Solanke still hasn’t opened his account for Eddie Howe’s side – 25 games and counting.
During Bournemouth’s miserable 1-0 defeat to ten-man Crystal Palace on Tuesday night, Solanke looked like a player completely lacking in confidence as he failed to make any sort of meaningful impact in the final third. He even passed up a clear chance to shoot in a failed attempt to set up Callum Wilson during the second half.
On this evidence, Liverpool will be counting their profit with glee.
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