Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi said in April that Dominic Solanke is “one of the best strikers in the Premier League”.
It is unclear whether that lofty praise was simply an attempt to boost the Englishman’s confidence, but sadly it went unrewarded and Solanke finished the season without scoring in De Zerbi’s first three games and with just three Premier League goals.
The 28-year-old’s Tottenham history has been marred by injuries as they missed out on a place in the last four and looked like a shadow of the player he was at Bournemouth in 2023-24.
After scoring just 12 league goals in his first two seasons in north London, it’s now or never for the £65m striker.
Explaining Solanke’s decline after joining Tottenham
Of course, the former Liverpool and Chelsea player’s main problem has been injuries, having missed 237 days since joining two years ago.
Solanke, a belated arrival as Harry Kane’s successor, may have had it in mind to match the club’s record goalscorer at international level, despite not even being in England’s conversation ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
His numbers have really dropped sharply since he scored 19 Premier League goals in his final season at the Vitality Stadium, with the towering marksman scoring once every 175 minutes while boasting a goal conversion rate of 17%.
He missed a series of chances, 14 in total, but at least he was creating or receiving chances in front of goal, averaging 2.9 shots per game that year.
Compare this to the 2025/26 season and the drop is significant, with Solanke averaging just 1.3 shots per game, only missing three ‘big chances’ and his goal conversion rate dropping to 14%.
The Englishman has also only scored three goals at a rate of 1 in 333 minutes and averages just 22.7 touches per game, significantly lower than his average of 33.2 touches in 2023/24.
However, considering that only Pedro Polo (eight) and Richarlison (seven) created more than eight “big chances” in the last tournament, it is no wonder that he is struggling, especially with serving to the front.
By the way, 2024/25. Son Heung-min led the way with 16 “big chances”, followed by Dejan Kulusevski in second place with 10.
Solanke – PL Records | ||
|---|---|---|
season | Game (Start) | the goal |
25/26 | 15(11) | 3 |
24/25 | 27(25) | 9 |
23/24 | 38(37) | 19 |
22/23 | 33(32) | 6 |
19/20 | 32(17) | 3 |
18/19 | 10(2) | 0 |
17/18 | 21(5) | 1 |
Perhaps the eventual return of Kulusevski, James Madison and others will help rejuvenate Solanke, but fresh faces may also be needed.
How can Spurs fire Solanke again?
So far this summer, the N17 have been noticeably lacking in attacking arrivals, a problem compounded by the absence of Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odbert, with Mohamed Kudus still yet to return.
Talk in recent weeks has suggested that £90m Bournemouth star Eli Junior Crupi is keen on a move to the N17, but the 20-year-old striker is likely to be Solanke’s direct rival for the number nine spot.
Savignho remains the likely target in terms of who could link up with Spurs’ number 19 up front, with the Manchester City man becoming a long-term option for the north London side.
Speaking on the TalkSPORT YouTube channel, journalist Ben Jacobs said Spurs are now “confident” they can agree a fee with the Etihad for the Brazilian.
“It’s the same situation with Sabinho and Tottenham. Spurs are confident of agreeing numbers with Man City, but City will need replacements as well.”
Previous reports suggested the 22-year-old could be worth around £60m, just two years after joining Manchester for a fee of around £30m.
Sabinho may be the missing piece of the puzzle for Solanke and co, but it could also be a hefty price tag for a player who had just one goal and one assist in the Premier League last season.
The South American speedster, who is comfortable playing on the wing or as a number 10, provided eight assists in the league in 2024/25, created 11 ‘big chances’ and averaged 1.6 key passes per game.
He is clearly a player who can put the ball ahead of Solanke, as he did with Girona the year before, where he had nine goals and 10 assists in La Liga.
That season also saw the £60m man create a flurry of chances, as then-Girona striker Artem Dobvik scored 24 league goals, while also averaging 1.5 key passes per game.
This suggests that if given consistent game time, Sabinho could become the creative force that both Spurs and Solanke have long craved.
The advantage for Solanke and others is that Sabinho is a winger who attracts players, is very dynamic and direct, and is someone who takes every opportunity to move forward.
In that 2023-24 season, for example, he topped Spain in terms of total successful dribbles, but having this kind of game-changer on the side could only benefit those around him.
He may not be the most appealing name this summer after Morgan Rodgers moved to Chelsea in a £117m deal, but don’t bet on whether the Man City man will prove a real success under manager De Zerbi.
