Replacing Harry Kane was never going to be an easy job for Tottenham Hotspur.
As some will now claim, he is the best striker in the world, perhaps even the best player in the world. Yet, Spurs have not helped themselves.
They signed Dominic Solanke as a £65m replacement but let Will Lankshear depart over the summer for just £10m.
After signing for Middlesbrough, the centre forward has scored eight goals in 11 games. Tottenham will no doubt be regretting that business considering it took them five matches to finally score in the Premier League this term.
Yet, Lankshear is not the only player they will have regrets about. Troy Parrott continues to haunt them.
Why Spurs sold Troy Parrott
For any striker, let alone Parrott, squeezing past the great Kane in the pecking order was an impossible task.
It’s why Tottenham found it difficult to buy an adequate back up for the great centre-forward throughout the years. It’s also why Parrott ultimately ended up leaving north London behind.
At youth team level, the Irishman was exceptional. He netted 17 goals in just 15 games for the U18s before bagging five in 14 at U21 level.
However, when trying to make a name for himself at senior level, much like Kane, he initially struggled. Tottenham’s great forward only ever scored 16 goals in 65 games out on loan in the EFL. It was a similar story for Parrott.
He endured 14 goalless games with Millwall, only scored two times in 18 matches for Ipswich Town and four in 34 for Preston North End.
|
Troy Parrott’s career before leaving Spurs |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Games |
Goals |
|
MK Dons (loan) |
47 |
10 |
|
Preston (loan) |
34 |
4 |
|
Excelsior (loan) |
32 |
17 |
|
Ipswich (loan) |
18 |
2 |
|
Spurs U18 |
15 |
17 |
|
Spurs U21 |
14 |
5 |
|
Millwall (loan) |
14 |
0 |
|
Spurs first team |
4 |
0 |
The Republic of Ireland international did have a slightly better time at MK Dons and then a move to Excelsior in the Netherlands set the tone for what the striker has become.
He bagged 17 goals in 32 matches for the Dutch side before AZ Alkmaar came calling in 2024. Just a year after Kane had left, Parrott was taking his leave too. Spurs let him depart for just £6.7m after only four senior games.
It’s a success story of the academy but how they must wish they had given him more of a chance when he was still on their books.
How Troy Parrott has exploded after leaving Spurs
Parrott’s story is a classic tale of the one who got away. After departing English football, the now 24-year-old has been simply sensational.
After heading back to the Netherlands, he took the Eredivisie by storm. A 20 goal debut season was followed by another 24 goals in 2025/26.
Very quickly, the former Spurs man has become one of the most clinical strikers in European football.
He’s got pace, he’s got trickery and as his jaw-dropping solo goal for Ireland vs Austria last week proved, he’s got the ball-carrying ability that not even a certain Kane possesses.
In truth, Parrott seemingly has it all and a move to LaLiga over the summer was more than he deserved. He is now playing for Real Betis in Spain where he is again among the goals, scoring twice in his first six outings.
He’s not quite lighting up Spanish football in the same regard just yet but he’s enjoying a fabulous international break, scoring four goals in four appearances for his national team.
Spurs have another Troy Parrott brewing
Considering how De Zerbi’s side have fared in front of goal this term, they will no doubt be having regrets about not just Parrott’s departure but also Lankshear’s exit over the summer.
Spurs may well have signed Omar Marmoush but the futures of Solanke and Richarlison look rather uncertain. Tottenham need a striker to emerge from somewhere and fortunately, they do have a number of top young forwards developing behind the scenes.
17-year-old Oliver Boast has 12 goals in six games for the U18s this season but it is likely to be a while before we see him in first-team action.
Luca Williams-Barnett will be another auditioning for more of a regular role as the season goes on. Spurs’ answer to Max Dowman scored 16 goals in 19 youth team matches last season.
Another player who will be gunning for Solanke’s place is Mason Melia.
Tottenham agreed a deal to sign the young forward from St Patrick’s Athletic in the winter of 2025 but he didn’t officially join Spurs until a year later in January 2026.
With three goals in six U21 appearances, Melia has already started to make an impact and that’s unsurprising. Back in his homeland, he set countless records.
En route to scoring 25 goals in 98 senior games, be became St Pats’ youngest-ever player and goalscorer when he netted on his debut against Wexford in the Leinster Senior Cup, before becoming the League of Ireland Premier Division’s youngest scorer after scoring against UCD six months later.
Described as “the Irish Alexander Isak” by GOAL’s Sean Walsh for his sharp speed and dynamism, there is something of a Parrott to his play style.
However, if Spurs are not careful, they may have a repeat scenario brewing here.
At the moment, Melia is out on loan at Championship side Lincoln City. They sit 12th in the second tier but the Irishman is yet to make an impact. He is goalless across his first four games.
His story so far is eerily similar to Parrott’s. Having moved over from Ireland as a young boy, he has scored regularly at youth level for Tottenham but is now struggling to make a name for himself in the EFL.
It’s early days, of course it is, but De Zerbi and Co will need to be cautious with his development over the forthcoming years. Just 19 years of age, the hope is that Melia blossoms into something special. His chances of becoming that at Spurs, however, are difficult, much like they were with Parrott.