Dominic Solanke wins Premier League Player of the Month award for December
- Solanke bagged six goals in six games in December
- Bournemouth striker beat Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer and Son Heung-min to prize
- Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has ruled out a move for Solanke
By Tom Gott
Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke has won the Premier League's Player of the Month award for December 2023.
Solanke bagged six goals in six games across December, including his first senior hat-trick, to help propel the Cherries well away from the relegation zone. They currently sit 12th in the standings, ten points clear of the drop.
"I'm delighted to win the Premier League Player of the Month for December," Solanke reflected. "It's been a great month, some big wins, some special moments, including my first Premier League hat-trick."
Solanke topped an eight-man shortlist which also included the likes of Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min to claim the award.
Solanke is only the fourth Bournemouth player or manager to ever win an individual award in the Premier League, following in the footsteps of former Manager of the Month Eddie Howe, who brought the striker to the Vitality Stadium back in 2019.
Howe, now at Newcastle United, has been tipped to pursue a reunion with Solanke this month, but the Magpies boss shut down the speculation during Friday's press conference.
"I love Dominic Solanke, I signed him and I rate him very, very highly," Howe said. "But we have not made an enquiry for him and we don't have the ability to sign a player of that level."
Solanke has also seen his name linked with the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal, having bagged 12 goals in 19 Premier League games so far this season.