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Following Evanilson's big-money move from FC Porto to AFC Bournemouth, football writer Alex Keble analyses why the Brazilian striker can fill the boots of Dominic Solanke, who has left the Cherries to join Tottenham Hotspur. The speed with which Bournemouth replaced Solanke suggests they are supremely confident Evanilson is the right man to lead the line. The price tag suggests the same. Bournemouth have smashed their transfer record to bring in the 24-year-old Brazil striker, who has reportedly cost an initial fee of £31. 5million, rising to £40m with add-ons. Clearly, at that price, it’s a gamble that needs to work out. And it is indeed a gamble. Evanilson only scored 13 goals in the Portugese top flight last season - six short of Solanke’s league total - despite playing for a side that finished third. How he will cope at Premier League level, and in a mid-table club, is a known unknown. But Evanilson does have a lot of the raw attributes to be a success, and analysis of his playing style even suggests he might be better suited to Andoni Iraola’s football than to Porto’s. The statistics suggest Bournemouth have made a smart move; that they were right to quickly land their man and give him Solanke’s No 9 shirt. When comparing their numbers across all competitions, Evanilson and Solanke score similarly for shots, goals, and touches in the opposition box, all of which suggests he can be the same penalty-box poacher that Solanke became for Iraola. There is virtually no difference here, and Evanilson actually scored goals at a better rate than Solanke. The Brazilian also slightly outperformed his own Expected Goals (x G) total, whereas Solanke hit his exactly. That suggests the new signing may be an even better finisher. One area that Evanilson will need to improve, though, is his heading ability. While he wins more of his aerial duels than Solanke, with 46. 3 per cent compared with 41. 8 per cent, the Brazilian scored only one header for Porto last season, compared with Solanke's four. Evanilson is a lot more than a poacher, however. He is a bustling and strong carrier of the ball with an aggressive playing style and low centre of gravity. He will often collect the ball on the half-turn to drive at the heart of the defence. That battling spirit should be helpful for a team that counter-press as hard as Iroala’s. Bournemouth's Passes Per Defensive Action (PPDA), which measures pressing intensity, of 10. 8 last season was only bettered by Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal. More importantly, Evanilson's proactive and vertical playing style suits Bournemouth’s focus on transitions. Iraola likes his teams to spring forward on the break, taking advantage of the gaps that open up when the ball is won back. Evanilson loves to drop into the half-spaces to take the ball and run with it, and is arguably better at linking the play than Solanke. Some of these numbers can be put down to Evanilson playing in a more possession-centric side than Solanke did last season. Bournemouth averaged 44. 4 per cent possession to Porto's 63. 1 per cent, a huge difference reflected in the statistics above. Nevertheless, playing for such a dominant team like Porto proves that Evanilson can be trusted to drop deep to sew things together. More importantly, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Evanilson's powerful running might work better in a team with a low share of possession. He scored a hat-trick for Porto in the UEFA Champions League group stage last season against Royal Antwerp, a match in which Porto held 45 per cent possession. He also created five chances in the 5-3 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk in the same competition, when Porto held 49 per cent possession. When playing in the Champions League, Porto became more reactive, closer resembling Iraola’s Bournemouth, and it is on this stage that Evanilson stood out most. He contributed five goals or assists in only seven matches in the competition last season, leading the counter-pressing charge throughout, including in the second-round defeat to Arsenal after a penalty shootout. Even putting the tactical or statistical analysis to one side, those numbers tell a compelling story. If Evanilson can do it on Europe’s biggest stage, he can do it in the Premier League. One of the Premier League's best jokers is back. Watch some times the Leicester City striker caused a stir Or enter your details Incorrect email or password You have been entered into the competition. You will receive email confirmation of your entry with further details. You have already entered this competition. Please check your email for further information. You have been entered into the competition. You will receive email confirmation of your entry with further details.