Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Fri 22 May 2026 15:10, UK

Tottenham Hotspur are within touching distance of securing their Premier League status.

It has been a dismal season for the Lilywhites, who have been dragged into a relegation battle.

As a result, Spurs turned to Roberto De Zerbi over the last international break, tasking the Italian with delivering an immediate turnaround before beginning to build for the coming summer.

There have been obvious signs of improvement, with Tottenham looking much more well-drilled and capable of competing in matches.

There are, however, issues beyond his or his squad’s control as they fight for survival, leaving the Italian pulling his hair out ahead of the summer.

Similar problems continue to plague Tottenham amid De Zerbi turnaround

When he took the job in April, De Zerbi knew he was inheriting a squad riddled with injuries.

That will not, however, have changed how frustrating it must be to work with a razor-thin squad that is also drained of confidence.

The biggest issue for the Italian, though, undoubtedly lies out wide, with there currently being no orthodox winger available to him as a result of injuries to Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski, who has missed over a year of football.

With that in mind, Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel have been deployed on the flanks in recent weeks, and while both are immensely talented footballers, they are, through no fault of their own, simply not wingers.

Stylistically, Tel can get away with playing a wide role more comfortably, with his wand of a right foot allowing him to cause havoc in and around the box, as shown by his four league goals from an xG of 2.38.

However, he lacks the dribbling quality needed out on the touchline and offers little in phases of play beyond directly standing a defender up.

Kolo Muani, while impactful in central zones and effective at using his body when carrying the ball, simply lacks the style and elegance needed to beat defenders in wider areas, with his best work coming through his movement in and around the box.

During his time at Eintracht Frankfurt, he operated incredibly well as the primary creator even from the number nine role, and while his ability to connect with teammates has been evident – as shown by a 70.4 per cent success rate from a sizeable 226 passes – he is incredibly limited in a wide role, and Spurs are struggling for creativity as a result.

Tottenham may have ready-made solution before De Zerbi thinks about signings

One of the most frustrating developments since De Zerbi’s arrival has been the setback in the aforementioned Kudus’ return from injury.

Joining from West Ham last summer, the wideman scored twice and provided five assists across 19 Premier League starts.

And while those numbers are not exactly mouthwatering, his overall impact on Tottenham’s style of play was magnificent.

In a much more defensive setup under Thomas Frank, the Ghanaian completed 52 dribbles in the league, with Kolo Muani and Tel managing 66 between them, an even more astonishing figure when you consider the pair have made 33 starts combined, compared to Kudus’ 19.

Under De Zerbi, Kudus is someone who could really take off in a Tottenham shirt next season, with the winger likely to be part of the Italian’s plans before any new signings are made.

As things stand, the Lilywhites are keeping the ball much better and look more organised, but they lack the direct penetration Kudus brings, especially with left-sided man Odobert also sidelined.

Tel and Kolo Muani have both put in solid shifts amid the ongoing survival battle, but De Zerbi will be pulling his hair out as he waits for a squad with more natural wingers – an issue that Tottenham failed to solve in January.