Throughout the summer, Tottenham were linked to a number of different strikers, before eventually sealing a £65m deal for Dominic Solanke to make the move from Bournemouth.
Ange Postecoglou has already spoken about how he always knew Solanke was the one he wanted when it came to finding a new forward, and that determination to bring the 27-year-old on board appears to have been well-placed.
Now, discussing the way Solanke has settled in (via Football.London), Postecoglou insisted that, from the very first training session, it was clear that the club and the player were a good fit.
He said: “Obviously, we didn’t sign Dom until late in the window and he was really keen to get his Tottenham career up and running as quickly as possible and then he had a false start. He got injured really early in the game at Leicester and then proceeded to miss a couple so for him it’s probably been a little bit frustrating but I knew what we were bringing to the football club.
“I was really confident that the way we play and his attributes, that he was going to be a great fit. I could see that from the first day of training, but we had to be patient. He’s getting up there now in terms of physical fitness, I think every game he looks like he’s getting stronger.
Postecoglou touched on the player’s condition, and how hard he has been working for the team in such a key role leading the line.
He added: “It’s a demanding role up front for us, it’s not just about goals, it’s about his link-up play and pressing. We’ve put a fair amount of workload on him, even though he’s missed a couple of games. I can see he’s getting strong.
“Obviously the goals help. He’s a striker. He wants to score goals and that helps him to feel better about the beginning of his career here.
“I think he’s in great condition, he’s already made a big impact at our football club, but I’m even more excited about what’s ahead and the potential we have as a team and he as an individual and that he can make a significant impact.”