Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi will have plenty of big decisions to make on the playing squad in the summer transfer window, if he guides the team clear of relegation.
One of the players who may find himself in a difficult position in the summer is the club's record signing Dominic Solanke, who joined from Bournemouth for a fee of £65m in the summer of 2024.
Through a mixture of his own performances and injury issues, the England international is yet to justify the incredible fee that was paid for his services almost two years ago.
Solanke has scored three goals in 12 appearances in the Premier League so far this season for the Lilywhites, after a return of nine goals in 27 league games in the 2024/25 campaign.
The former Liverpool and Chelsea talent underperformed in front of goal last term, scoring nine goals from an xG of 10.97 and missing 12 'big chances' in the top-flight.
De Zerbi driving Spurs move for new centre-forward
Solanke has not delivered enough quality or consistency to suggest that he has what it takes to be the go-to man for goals moving forward, which is why his position in the team is under threat ahead of the summer.
If the Europa League champions bring in a new number nine to come in and offer more to the team in front of goal, the English flop may have to assess his future and decide if staying in North London is the best option for his career moving forward.
According to Calcio Mercato, De Zerbi is looking to bring in a new centre-forward to lead the line for his Tottenham Hotspur team in the 2026/27 campaign.
The report claims that the Italian head coach is driving the club's interest in a deal to sign Fiorentina marksman Moise Kean to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch.
It adds that Italian giants Milan are also keen on a move to snap up the Italy international this summer, which means that there will be competition for his signature.
Calcio Mercato reveals that a fee of around £44m could be enough to tempt Fiorentina into cashing in on the former Juventus star, and that Spurs could afford to pay that price for De Zerbi's key striker target.
Why Kean would be a big Solanke upgrade for Spurs
If Tottenham can beat Milan to the signing of Kean in the upcoming summer transfer window, Solanke may find himself on the bench more often than not unless he pursues a move away from North London.
As aforementioned, the £65m signing has not offered much in the way of quality in front of goal during his time with Spurs, failing to hit double figures for goals in the Premier League so far.
A return of 12 league goals in almost two seasons, albeit with one disrupted through injury, is not an impressive return, particularly in comparison to Kean's form for Fiorentina.
Since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, the Italian centre-forward has scored 27 goals in the Serie A, whilst he has scored nine goals in all competitions so far this term.
The 26-year-old star, who should be in the prime years of his career, has scored 34 goals in all competitions for Fiorentina since his move from Juventus in 2024, whilst Solanke has scored 22 goals in the same period.
Last season, Kean significantly outperformed Solanke in front of goal at league level, with both playing in a major European league, as he scored ten more goals in five more appearances.
Comparing their respective form this season is unfair, as the Spurs striker has only played 12 matches, but their output in the 2024/25 campaign suggests that the Italian ace would arrive as a much better option for De Zerbi up front.
Given his goal return in recent seasons, Kean looks like a way better centre-forward than Solanke and could arrive in North London as a terrific goalscorer for the Italian head coach.
That is why the club should push to sign the manager's chosen target ahead of Milan to bolster the club's firepower for the 2026/27 campaign.