As Tottenham prepare to face Manchester United on May 21 in Bilbao for the Europa League Final, the discussion is increasingly centering on how Ange Postecoglou can line his men up after losing all three of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Lucas Bergvall for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.
These injuries have gutted the attacking midfield, and Tottenham are going to need to find solutions on the fly to replace their best creators and progressors - the talented liasons between an underwhelming midfield and a questionable attack.
Although Wilson Odobert is an early favorite to start as the No. 10 on Wednesday night, the Frenchman's starting status in this position isn't yet a guarantee. Because according to Football.London's Alasdair Gold, Dominic Solanke could be the solution Postecoglou turns to as the 10 against Manchester United, utilizing the England international as a supporting player behind Richarlison at striker.
Dominic Solanke is not an ideal No. 10
Solanke has a solid all-around game, and a big selling point for Tottenham signing him last summer was the fact that he was one of the most well-rounded strikers in the Premier League. From that vantage point, Solanke behind Richarlison isn't the worst idea in the world, as the two forwards are very experienced and honestly effective players when at their best. And Solanke has been massive in the Europa League this season, stepping up in the big games.
The problem with Solanke is he is well-rounded "for a striker". His playmaking as a 9 is above-average, but it isn't necessarily going to be an asset as a 10 against a team like Manchester United that will be tough in a chips-on-the-table Europa League Final.
Odobert has the short-area quickness, agility, and dribbling skills to interchange in the attacking midfield. Solanke is a bigger target who can pass, but that doesn't necessarily give him the skill-set to be a true 10 behind Richarlison, who, himself, may be a more impactful wild card off the bench than someone Tottenham can rely on as the starting striker in a winner-take-all matchup.
Solanke has his positives, of course. He is intelligent, experienced, and economical with his touches in the final third. If he starts vs. Odobert, the Tottenham lineup is bigger and more focused on shooting and static passing rather than fluid exchanges and dribbling with less shooting. A simple decision to start Solanke at striker and play Odobert as the 10 or start Richarlison at striker with Solanke as the 10 could change the entire complexion of the battle between the mercurial Tottenham attack and the Manchester United defense and, in turn, Wednesday's Final.