Darren Bent sets Solanke a ‘minimum’ goal target for this season at Spurs

Darren Bent gives his opinion on how many goals Dominic Solanke has to score this season in order to avoid being considered a flop.

Early scrutiny for Solanke

Solanke has come for quite a bit of criticism early in his Spurs career. While some will feel that a lot of it is unfair, the centre-forward was always going to be under the microscope, given the huge fee that Tottenham have paid for him.

The 26-year-old silenced some of his critics on Saturday, netting his first Premier League goal for the Lilywhites. He pounced on a loose ball in the box after James Maddison’s initial shot was saved by Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

The England international will be hoping that it is the first of many to come in a Tottenham shirt this season.

Bent piles pressure on Solanke

Bent believes that Tottenham’s record signing will have to find the back of the net at least 15 times this campaign to justify the fee that the Lilywhites paid for him.

When asked if Solanke needs to get 15 this season, the pundit told talkSPORT (at 4:44 pm, 24/09): “Yes, minimum. I guess for him and playing in that team with the creativity they have got. If he gets 15 to 20 for Tottenham, that is still a really good season. 15 to 20 is a good season.”

Solanke’s all-round game goes under the radar

At the end of the day, strikers are always judged by goals and that will be the case with Solanke, who will be expected to hit the back of the net 15 to 20 times.

However, the Englishman does not get the credit he deserves for his all-round game, which is arguably the main reason that Ange Postecoglou wanted him at Tottenham.

The 26-year-old delivered a centre-forward masterclass on Saturday, pressing the Brentford defenders tirelessly, holding up the ball well with his back to goal, and combining smartly with his teammates.

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