Ange Postecoglou looks to have taken notice of the Japanese international.
Tottenham Hotspur’s strong start to the summer window appears to be continuing, with multiple sources claiming that the Lilwhites have agreed to sign Manor Solomon on a free transfer.
The Shakhtar Donetsk striker, who spent last season on loan at Fulham, follows James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario in joining at N17, with new manager Ange Postecoglou also overseeing the permanent signings of Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski.
In the case of Solomon, despite missing the first half of the season due to injury, the 23-year-old showed glimpses of his talent at Craven Cottage last season, scoring four goals in four consecutive Premier League games between mid-February and early March.
That imminent signing will assist to reinforce a front line that appears to be fairly weak at the moment, especially after Lucas Moura was permitted to leave at the conclusion of his contract.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if Solomon isn’t the only offensive asset to join Postecoglou’s squad this summer, with the Daily Mail reporting over the weekend that the ex-Celtic manager is a great fan of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Kaoru Mitoma.
The Greek-Aussie did confess earlier this year that he sought to recruit the Japanese phenomenon – who is now worth over £35 million – during his time at Parkhead, so it’s not out of the question that the 57-year-old may renew his interest in the brilliant wing magician.
Should Kaoru Mitoma join Tottenham Hotspur?
After scoring eight goals and providing four assists in 26 games while on loan at Union Saint-Gilloise during the 2021/22 season, the 26-year-old replicated that impact in the Premier League last season, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 33 top-flight appearances.
The highly-rated speedster – who also contributed five goals while on cup duty – has been somewhat of a surprise of late under Roberto De Zerbi, having helped propel the Seagulls to European qualifying last season.
A transfer to Spurs would surely be deserved, with Postecoglou having the ability to build an exciting offensive combo with Mitoma on one side and the aforementioned Solomon on the other.
While the latter played on the left wing throughout his time in west London, the Israeli international has spent most of his time on the right flank, allowing Mitoma to vie and compete with Heung-min Son on the opposite flank.
The duo’s innate dribbling prowess would be a major benefit of that partnership, helping to offer a real devastating and direct threat down either flank, with the Brighton dynamo ranking in the top 5% of his European peers for progressive carries as well as in the top 16% for successful take-ons, while Solomon ranks in the top 6% for that latter metric.
Aside from being able to flourish alongside the Shakhtar threat, another advantage of signing Mitoma is his apparent resemblance to a legendary figure in Tottenham‘s recent history, with Tim Sherwood (Premier League Productions, 15/04/2023, 15:55) stating that the £10k-per-week ace manipulates the ball “like Gareth Bale.”
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