Roberto De Zerbi will face the same problem that plagued the likes of Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor during their time at Tottenham Hotspur – how can this team be revived in the post-Harry Kane era?
Whether he was taken for granted or not, Kane has long been the N17’s talisman and figurehead, stepping down as the club’s all-time top scorer in 2023 after almost a decade of providing immense credibility in front of goal.
While it took a year for Dominic Solanke to arrive from Bournemouth on a club record deal, it still boggles my mind to think that Daniel Levy and others allowed the England captain to move to Bayern Munich without signing a direct replacement.
Solanke’s talent is clear, it just hasn’t been appreciated enough and new solutions need to be found in that centre-forward department, whether in the coming weeks or in the long term.
Why a new striker is a priority for Spurs
Mr Solanke’s case has been in turmoil in north London for the past two years, and he never got off the ground after arriving from the south coast.
Solanke – PL Career | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | the goal |
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 | twenty one | 1 |
16/17 | 0 | 0 |
14/15 | 0 | 0 |
total | 173 | 41 |
For example, he missed the start of the 2024-25 season with an ankle problem, was hampered for much of the second half of the season by a knee injury, and scored just three goals in the Premier League between January and May of that year.
The 28-year-old proved key to Spurs’ progress to the knockout stages in the Europa League, but his return to the top flight with nine goals was poorly received and he fell behind Brennan Johnson as the club’s top scorer last season.
As for the current season, the former Chelsea and Liverpool man has been further plagued by injuries, scoring just six times, with just three of those coming in league matches.
In his absence, on-loan Frenchman Randal Kolo Muani’s performance has not been very good, with 2022 World Cup finalist Randal Kolo Muani actually losing out to Solanke despite appearing in 34 games compared to the Englishman’s 17.
The 27-year-old’s only goal in the league came in the north London derby under former Juventus manager Tudor, but there has been little indication that he is considering staying permanently this summer.
Of course, new manager De Zerbi will rely on the polarizing Richarlison between now and the end of the season, but the Italian could well find another solution to the striker’s saga instead.
De Zerbi could unleash a ‘Defoe-esque’ Spurs star
Richarlison has had an impressive but lackluster season in front of goal. The Brazil international has scored 10 goals in all competitions, nine of which have come in the Premier League.
Spurs could accept De Zerbi’s £55m bid for new signing Joao Pedro
Signing a new centre-forward could be a priority for Spurs’ Roberto De Zerbi this summer.
As he proved at Anfield, the former Everton talisman can deliver when needed, but like the players mentioned above, he has been inconsistent in a Spurs shirt, scoring just 25 league goals in four seasons in the capital.
De Zerbi has experience of getting the best out of strikers such as Evan Ferguson and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but perhaps his most fruitful relationship was with the more mobile and dynamic No.9 Joao Pedro during his time at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Brazilian’s 20 goals in the 2023-24 season ensured that the 46-year-old was effectively the top scorer during his time in charge at the Amex, despite De Zerbi taking over a year earlier.
Pedro’s effective spell leading up front could give hope to youngster Matthijs Tell as De Zerbi’s next centre-forward project, with the young Frenchman still waiting to truly make his mark in north London.
Indeed, much of his work so far has come from the left, most impressively in the 3-2 win over Atlético Madrid, where he assisted Kolo Muani’s header in the first half.
That magical moment actually came when Tell drifted to the right flank, showing why he shouldn’t necessarily be confined to either flank, but instead roam free and act as a link man from a central starting berth.
The 20-year-old moved to Germany from Stade Renne and scored 16 goals in 83 games for Bayern Munich, but has only scored six goals in the past 18 months for the Lilywhites.
In the 2023/24 season, for example, Tell scored 10 goals in all competitions despite starting just 10 games, and has fallen significantly into an influential role in both Bayern’s side and now Spurs.
Although he has only appeared briefly, there is a potential diamond there, with presenter Ben Bowman recently praising his goalscoring ability as “like (Jermain) Defoe”.
Players like Kolo Muani and Solanke haven’t been up to the task so far, but Tell, whose recent groin injury doesn’t appear to be serious, could be the mobile, athletic solution De Zerbi is looking for.
The £27m Spurs star will be furious that ENIC hired De Zerbi.
The arrival of Roberto De Zerbi could have an impact on the current Spurs squad.
