Tottenham Hotspur’s latest summer signing Dominic Solanke used to follow Arsenal as a child, according to a 2024 interview with the player.
Dominic Solanke after signing for Tottenham Hotspur (Photo via TottenhamHotspur.com)
Former Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke completed a move to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, joining in a deal worth up to £65m on a deal lasting until 2030.
OneFootball Videos
Guardiola impresses with Savinho’s City debut
Loading official content
Guardiola impresses with Savinho’s City debut
0 seconds of 41 secondsVolume 0%
But before he played for Spurs or Bournemouth, Solanke used to follow his current club’s rivals Arsenal.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND: Dominic Solanke of AFC Bournemouth celebrates victory after the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United at Vitality Stadium on November 11, 2023. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Speaking in an interview with BBC Sport earlier this year, Solanke revealed his previous affiliation with the Gunners.
“[My first football shirt] would have probably been Arsenal,” Solanke admitted. “My dad was an Arsenal fan, so I used to follow them. I went to a few Emirates Cups back in the day.”
As for why Solanke isn’t an Arsenal fan anymore, he admitted it’s difficult to support a team when you’re playing matches against them.
“When you’re young, you love watching football. When you actually grow up and you start playing against teams I think it’s a bit hard to support a team, you know?” Solanke explained.
BLACKBURN, ENGLAND: Dominic Solanke of Liverpool during the Pre-Season Friendly between Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool at Ewood Park on July 19, 2018. (Photo by Lynne Cameron/Getty Images)
Despite spending all-but-one year of his career in England, playing for Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bournemouth, Solanke doesn’t have a long history of matches against Arsenal.
The striker never made it onto the pitch for Liverpool or Chelsea against the Gunners, so he had to wait for the 2019/20 season to get a game with Bournemouth.
In his five starts since then, Solanke has a 100% losing record, with no goals or assists. He’ll want to change that in a Spurs shirt if he’s going to win over their fans.
