Solanke's form for Cherries deserves England pick

Dominic Solanke's 14 Premier League goals have kept Bournemouth out of trouble.

The 26-year-old's form has seen him linked with an England recall, with Gareth Southgate set to name his latest squad tomorrow.

Ahead of the Cherries' clash with Luton tonight, we take a look at Solanke's campaign and his international hopes.

Cherry on top

Solanke has enjoyed a breakout season in the top flight, with 16 goals in 31 games across all competitions for Bournemouth.

He has been struggling with a knee injury in recent weeks. Though the forward played 90 minutes in the 2-2 draw against Sheffield United last Saturday, everything went wrong for him.

Solanke slipped as he went to strike a first-half penalty, sending the ball flying over the bar. He then later had a goal disallowed for a handball.

Boss Andoni Iraola does not believe fitness issues are impacting the Chelsea academy product, who should be able to face the Hatters tonight.

Iraola said: "He's not been affected by the injury performance-wise.

"He finished better in the game than the previous one against Burnley and I expect him to be available. He had a good recovery in the Sheffield United game.

"There are a lot of things that happen to football players across a season, players are used to playing through these things."

International hopes

Solanke will be seeking better luck against Luton to aid his chances of being named in Southgate's England squad for this month's friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.

Big things were expected of the ex-Liverpool striker at international level but his club career has not always run smoothly.

He was part of the England youth sides that won the European Under-17 Championship in 2014 and the U-20 World Cup in 2017, where he was named as the Player of the Tournament.

Solanke played under Southgate at U-21 level and was given his first senior cap in 2017, shortly after his move to Anfield.

Yet no further international appearances have followed, with the Reading-born marksman failing to establish himself on Merseyside before making a £19million move to Bournemouth in 2019.

Success at the Vitality Stadium has taken time to come. He failed to net in his first 38 Premier League appearances for the Cherries.

But it was in the Championship where Solanke blossomed, with 44 goals from 86 games ensuring Bournemouth bounced back from relegation, returning to the top flight in 2022.

Last season was another disappointing campaign for the attacker in the Premier League, as he only scored six times but he has finally lived up to his potential under Iraola.

Transfer talk

Having found the form to be worthy of an England recall, Solanke now faces formidable competition for a spot in Southgate's squad.

Harry Kane is a guaranteed starter, Ollie Watkins has arguably been the best striker in the Premier League this season and Ivan Toney has been brilliant since returning for Brentford.

Euro 2024 may ultimately come too soon for Solanke but he will hope to be given a chance in the upcoming friendlies.

Going forward, the next stage of Solanke's career could be to prove himself at a big club, having failed in his previous opportunities at Chelsea and Liverpool.

The likes of Arsenal, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham have all been linked with a summer transfer.

Such a move could give Solanke the platform to make good on his early promise for the Three Lions.