De Zerbi can bin Solanke by unleashing Spurs prodigy who’s the new Kane

In 1977, Tottenham Hotspur were last relegated from the top flight of English football. To put that in perspective, 1977 was the year that Star Wars arrived in theatres worldwide, changing the course of cinema.

Disney’s Star Wars will certainly not be revolutionising cinema this year, and neither have Spurs enjoyed season-defining success, instead in real danger of falling into the Championship, even after ending their Premier League hoodoo and beating Wolves last weekend.

With the 2025/26 campaign now into the closing weeks, Tottenham only have one focus: surviving this agonising relegation battle and reprising their role as Premier League competitors.

However, if they do manage to beat one of their relegation rivals, ENIC Group will surely need to revamp the frontline, with the likes of Dominic Solanke flattering to deceive.

Why Spurs need to replace Dominic Solanke

Over the past several seasons, Tottenham have sold Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Brennan Johnson. These potent players have been inadequately replaced.

Solanke hasn’t provided the correct kind of relief, too injury-prone.

The England international has scored three goals in the Premier League this season, having only started 11 games due to enduring injury problems.

He is capable of special moments. You’d hope so, in fairness, what with Spurs paying a mammoth fee rising to a club-record £65m. Sadly, his statement moments have been few and far between, and Tottenham would be foolish to enter the new campaign with him as their star centre-forward.

Tottenham may push for a new big-money striker – should they stay up – but De Zerbi could find that he already has one of the most exciting teenage talents at his disposal, and this player could feature prominently next year, whichever division the Lilywhites feature in.

Spurs have already signed the new Harry Kane

Tottenham miss Kane. That one goes without saying. The England and Spurs record goalscorer is into his third season with Bayern Munich, chasing down the Champions League.

Strikers like that don’t just grow on trees, but Spurs did nurture him from their academy to the fore, and lightning could strike twice with Mason Melia, who arrived in London from Ireland, aged 18, at the start of the January transfer window.

Described by talent scout Jacek Kulig as the “Irish Harry Kane“, the 18-year-old Melia has yet to make his mark in Tottenham’s senior set-up, though he has battled back to fitness following an injury right at the start of his new career chapter.

He might be young, but this is a potential superstar, having already featured 98 times for St. Patrick’s Athletic in his homeland, scoring 25 goals and providing eight assists.

A long and limber centre-forward, Melia has a certain Kane-esque quality about him, strong and intelligent and composed. He’s not blisteringly fast, but he uses his pace efficiently.

Will he match Kane’s record of 282 goals and 63 assists for Tottenham? Probably not, but there’s no question that this could be one of the new attacking faces in the Premier League.

Melia hasn’t yet proven himself on the major stage for Tottenham, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll get opportunities during pre-season.

If Melia makes a good impression, it could be curtains for Solanke, who has suffered from rotten luck since arriving from Tottenham. Still, this is not a charity but a football team desperate to bounce back.

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