A bigger flop than Solanke: De Zerbi must bin Spurs’ new Timo Werner

Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Dominic Solanke had to be substituted in the 40th minute of the 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

The England international, who has already missed 33 matches this season for club and country with an ankle injury, came off with a muscular issue.

After the game, Roberto De Zerbi said that it was not a major issue for the former Bournemouth striker, but it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to feature in the last four games of the season.

Solanke has struggled for form and fitness since his club-record £65m move from the Cherries in the summer of 2024, scoring 12 goals in the Premier League since the start of last season.

In the 2024/25 campaign, the 28-year-old striker only scored nine goals from 10.97 xG across 27 appearances in the top-flight under Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs attacker wants to leave the club this summer

Solanke still has time on his hands to turn his Lilywhites career around and make a success of his spell in North London, as he is still contracted through to the summer of 2030.

He has also had some impressive moments in a Spurs shirt, such as his scorpion kick goal against Manchester City, so not all hope is lost for him.

One player who does not have as much time on his hands to make a success of his Lilywhites career, though, is PSG loanee Randal Kolo Muani.

According to Football Insider, the France international has decided that he wants to leave the club at the end of the season and does not want to explore a permanent move to North London.

The report claims that Tottenham Hotspur will not look to sign Kolo Muani on a permanent basis, as they do not have an option to make the deal permanent, and that a move to Juventus is more likely for the attacker.

De Zerbi should not attempt to change the striker’s mind because he has looked like the new Timo Werner for Spurs this season, and has been an even bigger flop than Solanke.

How Randal Kolo Muani compares to Timo Werner’s time at Spurs

Werner spent 18 months at Spurs on loan from RB Leipzig and produced three goals and seven assists in 41 appearances in all competitions for the club before they opted against signing him on a permanent basis.

Kolo Muani joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last summer and has just as ineffective than the German attacker was during his time on loan in North London.

The France international ranks poorly among his peers at Tottenham in a host of key attacking metrics, as he has only produced one goal and one assist in 26 Premier League appearances.

Kolo Muani has only scored five goals and provided four assists in 37 matches in all competitions for Spurs, which averages at a goal contribution every 4.1 outings.

Oddly enough, the French forward is averaging exactly as many games per goal contribution as Werner did (4.1) during his loan spell, which shows that they have been equally disappointing flops at Spurs.

Kolo Muani’s form in the Premier League, in particular, has been frustrating, though, because four of his five goals came in the Champions League, with just one strike in domestic action.

The 27-year-old flop has simply not offered enough at the top end of the pitch for De Zerbi or Spurs to consider a permanent move for his services, which is why he should be allowed to leave at the end of his loan.

Solanke has missed 33 games through injury in the 2025/26 campaign and still scored more Premier League goals (three) than Kolo Muani (one), which shows that the English striker has been far more effective in the top-flight with his limited minutes.

Whilst the £65m signing from Bournemouth still has a long way to go to live up to his price tag with the Lilywhites, Solanke should be given a chance to make a success of his Spurs spell next season. Kolo Muani should not.

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