Roberto De Zerbi will be facing the same problem that plagued the likes of Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor before him at Tottenham Hotspur – how can this team be revived in the post-Harry Kane era?
For such a long time, whether it was taken lightly or not, Kane was the talisman and head of N17, leaving in 2023 as the club’s top scorer, after almost ten years of great loyalty in front of the goal.
It’s still hard to imagine Daniel Levy and his team allowing the England captain to leave for Bayern Munich without signing a replacement, with Dominic Solanke taking a year to land in a club record deal from Bournemouth.
Solanke’s ability is evident, but not recognized enough, there is a new solution that needs to be found in that forward department, be it in the coming weeks or in the long term.
Why a new striker needs to be a priority for Spurs
In Solanke’s case, it has been a case of disruption over the last two years or so in north London, he hasn’t really been able to continue following his arrival from the south coast.
|
Solanke – PL work |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The season |
Games |
Goals |
|
25/26 |
12 |
3 |
|
24/25 |
27 |
9 |
|
23/24 |
38 |
19 |
|
22/23 |
33 |
6 |
|
19/20 |
32 |
3 |
|
18/19 |
10 |
0 |
|
17/18 |
21 |
1 |
|
16/17 |
0 |
0 |
|
14/15 |
0 |
0 |
|
The sum |
173 |
41 |
In 2024/25, for example, his first impact was delayed by an ankle problem, and much of the second half of the season was hampered by a knee injury, ensuring he scored just three Premier League goals between January and May that year.
Although the 28-year-old proved key to Spurs’ run in the Europa League, his nine-goal return to the top flight has left him a bit of a learning curve, as he fell behind Brennan Johnson as the club’s top goalscorer last season.
Regarding the current campaign, the former Chelsea and Liverpool man has also been injured, scoring only six goals, only three of which have come in the league.
In his absence, the Frenchman who was on loan, Randal Kolo Muani, is not doing very well, this player who reached the finals of the 2022 World Cup was released by Solanke, although he has played 34 games compared to 17 for the Englishman.
The 27-year-old’s only league goal came under his former Juventus boss, Tudor, in the north London derby, with little suggestion that a permanent move will be on the cards this summer.
New boss De Zerbi will, of course, have the divisive Richarlison to turn to between now and the end of the season, although the Italian could find another solution to the striker saga instead.
De Zerbi could let go of Spurs’ “Defoe-esque” star
For Richarlison, it has been a respectable but disappointing season in front of goal, the Brazilian has scored ten goals in all competitions, nine of which have come in the Premier League.
Spurs could see £55m bid accepted for De Zerbi’s new Joao Pedro
The new centre-forward could be Roberto De Zerbi’s priority at Spurs this summer.
As he proved at Anfield, the former Everton talisman can deliver when needed, but like the men above, there has never been a sense of consistency in a Spurs shirt, scoring 25 league goals in four seasons now in the capital.
De Zerbi has always got the best out of strikers, be it Evan Ferguson or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, although perhaps his best relationship back at Brighton and Hove Albion with a mobile, versatile number nine was Joao Pedro.
20 goals for Brazil in 2023/24 confirmed that he was in fact the top scorer during the 46-year-old’s reign at the Amex, despite De Zerbi taking over the previous year.
Pedro’s successful spell leading the line could give hope to youngster Mathys Tel as De Zerbi’s center forward project, with the young Frenchman still waiting to really shine in north London.
Indeed, most of his work so far has come on the left side, as he proved to be the most impressive in Atletico Madrid’s 3-2 win, registering an assist for Kolo Muani’s header in the first half.
That magical moment came with Tel drifting to the right, showing why he shouldn’t be confined to one side or the other, instead allowing the freedom to roam, acting as a link man to the central berth.
The 20-year-old has scored six goals in the past 18 months for the Lilywhites, after scoring 16 goals in 83 appearances back at Bayern Munich, following a move to Germany from Stade Rennais.
In 2023/24, for example, Tel scored 10 goals in all competitions despite starting 10 games, a much reduced impact at the Bavarian side and now at Spurs.
It’s only been seen for a while, but there could be a diamond in there, with presenter Ben Bowman praising his goal-scoring ability by saying “[Jermain] Defoe-esque” in the past.
The likes of Kolo Muani and Solanke aren’t done yet, and Tel – whose recent groin injury is not considered serious – could be the mobile, athletic solution De Zerbi is looking for.
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