Credit: Imago

Scott Mason

Sat 30 May 2026 13:40, UK

Roberto De Zerbi is a big fan of Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke – at least that is what he claims.

The Italian came into an unnerving situation at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with injuries and poor form threatening to send Spurs into the Championship.

Among those in the squad that fit into both categories, Solanke may be right near the top of the list.

The Englishman spent much of the 2025-2026 season on the sidelines, and when he did feature, he left little to praise.

As De Zerbi draws up his tactical plans for 2026-2027, his words on Solanke should be revisited with plenty of questions still to be asked.

What does Roberto De Zerbi think about Dominic Solanke?

Whether he truly believes his own words or if he is just showing strong man-management skills, De Zerbi held high praise for Solanke earlier in the season.

The Italian labelled the 28-year-old as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” ahead of Spurs’ game against Brighton in April.

However, even the Tottenham manager will begin to grow frustrated with the striker if those injury problems do not subside.

The best strikers in the world need to get into a run of form and start scoring goals at an impressive rate to earn that tag.

So far, despite the Italian’s words, Solanke has been far off the pace in that regard. De Zerbi may still be remembering his impressive 2023-2024 campaign with Bournemouth when he uttered those words.

As there have only been short glimpses of that striker in N17, as Solanke has proven to be unreliable.

Why Dominic Solanke cannot be trusted at Tottenham

Since making the move to North London in 2024, Solanke has struggled to remain fit, and he has missed far too many games.

While many might say it is not the Englishman’s fault, amid Tottenham’s ever-growing list of injury concerns, that level of availability cannot be trusted.

Over the last two seasons, Solanke has missed 50 games in total for both club and country, with six separate incidents cited by Transfermarkt.

With a total of 76 games available for the striker, he has only featured in 42 Premier League matches for the Lilywhites.

While in that time he has managed 12 Premier League goals, his unreliable nature makes it tough to see a road forward for the now 28-year-old.

Next season, or even pre-season, will be the biggest test of his career, as he must prove he can be trusted as a long-term option.