Roberto De Zerbi‘s position has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, following a winless start to the Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur, the Italian likely to be the next managerial casualty in north London if things don’t improve.
At some stage, having sacked three managers already across the past 12 months, fingers need to start being pointed at the players instead, with too many at N17 having underwhelmed for too long.
Dominic Solanke certainly falls into that category, with patience wearing thin with the struggling striker.
Why Spurs need to sell Solanke in 2027
It feels too early to judge De Zerbi’s men too harshly, considering only seven games have been played in all competitions, yet Solanke’s woes stretch back far longer than just the past few weeks.
Snapped up by Bournemouth on a then-club record deal back in 2024, the one-time Liverpool and Chelsea man has since scored just 12 Premier League goals since then, well below the 19 he scored in his final season alone on the south coast.
Wrecked by injury across 2025/26, the polarising striker has also made a stuttering start to the new campaign, having again been hampered by fitness issues over the summer.
No goals from five league outings, two of which have come from the start, makes for grim reading, with Solanke only registering one shot per game thus far.
With last season’s top scorer, Richarlison, watching on from the sidelines, the Englishman’s woes have been brought into even sharper focus. Spurs need an upgrade in 2027.
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There were whispers over the summer regarding Nottingham Forest’s apparent interest in the 29-year-old, with there perhaps a regret at having not moved him on heading into the new season.
|
Solanke Career Record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Games |
Goals |
|
B’mouth |
216 |
77 |
|
Spurs |
72 |
23 |
|
Liverpool |
27 |
1 |
|
Vitesse |
26 |
7 |
|
Chelsea |
1 |
0 |
|
Total |
335 |
107 |
|
England |
5 |
0 |
He’s had two years to deliver and simply hasn’t done so, with there little evidence to suggest he’ll ever be the 20-goal-a-season striker Spurs are looking for.
Any striker to arrive in the wake of Harry Kane’s 2023 exit was likely to struggle, yet Solanke hasn’t even come close to reaching the levels of his compatriot.
Barely in the England conversation these days, Spurs’ number 19 didn’t even hit double figures for league goals in his debut campaign. Kane, for instance, scored 30 in his final year in north London.
Therein lies the stark difference, with there no real surprise that the Lilywhites have looked so light in attack, the only league goalscorers this season so far having been Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke.
Solanke is certainly central to those woes, although he’s not alone in having perhaps overstayed his welcome.
Forget Solanke: Spurs star needs to be sold in January
If there is any saving grace for Solanke, it is that Spurs’ forward line as a whole has been wretched for so long now, Richarlison having been well out ahead in terms of league goals last season.
The exile of the Brazilian may well have backfired considering what has occurred in his absence, with there surely other members of the squad who deserve to be under the microscope too.
Indeed, young Mathys Tel may well be on borrowed time in the capital following what’s been a turbulent last 18 months or so, the Frenchman receiving a public dressing down from De Zerbi following the draw with Everton.
He did subsequently start in the Carabao Cup clash against Liverpool, although the 21-year-old was almost completely nullified by Jeremie Frimpong down that left.
It was perhaps telling that Tel was then left out of the matchday squad altogether for the defeat to Aston Villa, with De Zerbi labelling it a “technical decision”, rather than anything related to fitness or injury.
“Technical decision. He was in the stands, because I think during the game, Maddison and Kudus, they had more chances to change the game.
“I explained why to Mathys yesterday. It was no problem. He was very nice, and he understood the reason, but nothing more, and also he played more than the others.”
Perhaps it merely was a case of rotation, following Tel’s midweek involvement, although that omission, following the events against the Toffees, doesn’t bode well for his long-term future under De Zerbi.
For all his talent, the ex-Bayern Munich speedster just hasn’t shown any level of consistency in a Tottenham shirt, scoring just seven times and registering only four assists in 64 games in all competitions.
Considering he’s operated both off the flanks and as a central striker, that’s a desperately poor return, it must be said, even if his youth is taken into consideration.
For comparison too, Solanke has at least chalked up 31 goals and assists from his 72 appearances to date, a far better return than his teammate, even if the Englishman has still underwhelmed.
In any case, Tel’s days are numbered in north London, with Football FanCast exclusively reporting that De Zerbi wants to cash in on both him and Richarlison to fund the pursuit of a new forward in January.
The all-powerful is clearly wielding the axe, with Tel the next man in his crosshairs.