Following Sunday’s away defeat to Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur’s new manager Roberto De Zerbi may be asking the same question as his predecessors – why did Daniel Levy sell Harry Kane?
Losing the England captain was perhaps inevitable given he only had one year left on his contract at the time, but perhaps the bigger concern was the club’s plans to replace him.
Indeed, it took 12 months to sign a direct replacement at centre-forward, but the club-record deal for Dominic Solanke subsequently backfired, with the injury-hit Englishman scoring just six goals throughout the 2025/26 season.
As was made clear at the Stadium of Light, the 28-year-old is completely unreliable as Spurs’ starting striker. Something needs to change.
Solanke is starting to look like another James Madison for the Spurs.
For the most part, there was no doubting Solanke’s quality, with the former Bournemouth man arriving having scored 19 Premier League goals in his final season on the south coast.
His 22 goals in 62 games for North London, a total of almost one every three games, is no big deal, but the bigger concern has usually been keeping him healthy and available for the majority of the past two years.
In that regard, he definitely fits into the James Madison category, the type of talent who could very well have made even greater strides had he not been set back by repeated injuries.
Like Solanke, Maddison is at his best when he comes on and has become a key player in the team, scoring a total of 37 goals and assisting in 75 games since joining from Leicester City.
However, the playmaker has not been featured since the days of manager Ange Postecoglou and has notably missed the Europa League final, proving sadly unreliable for a team currently in such straits.
Solanke has also been in that camp, but even his recent return hasn’t led to a dramatic turnaround, especially as he registered just 18 touches on the ball at the Stadium of Light.
Given that Spurs created their only ‘big chance’ at the weekend, it is certain that De Zerbi’s attacking set-up is not effective and a new solution may be needed.
De Zerbi could replace Solanke with Spurs star worth an estimated £73m
If there was any positive to take away from the defeat at Wearside, it might have been the performance of the two flankers, with Randall Kolo Muani shining on the right.
New Richarlison: De Zerbi must drop Spurs star who completed four passes in every game
Tottenham’s relegation fears worsened following their defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The Frenchman came close to winning a penalty for his side in the first half, but Richarlison at the other end was in his usual chaotic form and, despite a promising opening, only fired straight at Robin Roofs.
Even though Solanke was unable to hold the team together in the middle, having these two renowned strikers drive inside from a wide role seemed like a smart option.
Solanke vs Sunderland | |
|---|---|
status | record |
minutes | 90+ |
touch | 18 |
Pass accuracy | 67% |
key pass | 0 |
It was successful. dribble | 0 |
shot | 4 |
missed a big opportunity | 1 |
ball lost | 7 |
Won a ground duel | 1/3 |
won an aerial battle | 2/3 |
With that in mind, one change that could satisfy all parties would be to introduce Xavi Simmons into a new role as the False 9. The Dutchman was again surprisingly absent from the starting lineup.
The 22-year-old, who was also missed in Igor Tudor’s last game in charge, has not found any consistency in a Spurs shirt so far, even when he enjoyed a fine brace at home to Atlético Madrid not long ago.
Symonds, operating as a number 10 that night, proved what an effective link-man he was, making three “significant passes” in what was perhaps his best outing in north London to date.
The transition to the Premier League is much more difficult, but finding a stable position in the team also remains an issue, with the former RB Leipzig star floating between a left-wing role and a number 10 slot.
Although he may not have the physicality to function as a lone striker, Simmons could flourish as a false nine who drops deep for link play, a role he played several times during his time at PSV Eindhoven and in Paris Saint-Germain’s youth organization.
Much in the same vein as Kane’s majesty, Simmonds’ ability to bring out the centre-backs freed up space for Richarlison forward and Kolo Muani at the back, with the Dutch star boasting his creativity in threading the ball in behind them.
In contrast, Solanke completed just four passes in the last game, losing the ball seven times out of 18 touches, and is far from the mobile, progressive centre-forward that De Zerbi would need.
Simmons, who is currently valued at £73m by the CIES Football Observatory, is in doubt for the English side following the club’s recent failures in big-money transfers, but a move into a new role could be an opportunity for a comeback.
De Zerbi could drop Solanke by releasing a ‘Defoe-esque’ Spurs star
Dominic Solanke had an unforgettable afternoon for Spurs on Sunday.
