De Zerbi urged to replace £125m Tottenham duo with elite forward signing
Tottenham Hotspur must bring in a devastating goalscorer to replace current strikers Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush, Paul Merson has claimed.
As part of their stunning squad overhaul during the summer, Tottenham signed Marmoush from Manchester City in a loan-to-buy deal worth £60million. They also revamped their winger ranks by spending £85m on Marmoush’s former City team-mate Savio, as well as reuniting Roberto De Zerbi with Chelsea flop Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Spurs signed Mudryk on loan and have the option to make the deal permanent next summer for £75m.
However, those attackers have yet to get going for Spurs. De Zerbi’s side have scored just three goals in six Premier League matches so far, leaving them winless and in 18th place.
Solanke rescued a point for Spurs against Manchester United with an injury-time header after Rodrigo Bentancur had been sent off earlier in the second half.
But Solanke – who cost Spurs £65m in August 2024 – had been guilty of missing several good chances before then.
In his latest column for Sky Sports, Merson explained why Spurs made a mistake in failing to sign a deadlier striker than Solanke and Marmoush over the summer.
‘Tottenham played well at Old Trafford. They dominated, but just don’t look like scoring a goal at the moment,’ the pundit wrote. ‘They did great with 10 men to come back and finally get an equaliser, which they deserved. ‘The only thing they probably could have done with – and what they should have done – is they had to get a centre-forward. ‘They went out of their way for a few players, did a bit of this and that. I like Sandro Tonali, I’m a big fan of this. But they had to get a centre-forward. ‘Dominic Solanke is better than alright. But he’s not yet an actual goalscorer. When Spurs robbed United of the ball in the first half and he goes through on goal, you don’t sit there and go: ‘goal’. You just don’t.
‘Omar Marmoush isn’t going to give you goals’ – Paul Merson
‘And Omar Marmoush isn’t going to give you goals. He’ll get you’re a worldie here or there, but he’s not a goalscorer. They needed a goalscorer. I can’t believe Spurs didn’t go for Nicolas Jackson. He’s decent.
‘The problem with Spurs at the moment is that they’re not scoring. There’s never a wrong time to score – every time is the right time – but they’re failing to find the net when they’re on top.
‘They could go to Coventry on Monday, score an early goal and kick on to win 3-0 or 4-0. That could be the result that kickstarts their season.
‘But I’ve seen them plenty of times this season and they’ve played well – but only for 20 to 25 minutes. They need to turn that into 90.
‘But you have to say fair play to them for coming back at United when they’re having the season they’re having, they’re down to ten men, dominated the game and gone 1-0 down.’
Meanwhile, we can reveal Spurs’ stance on De Zerbi’s future after their draw with United.
