Tottenham's revival under De Zerbi puts spotlight on Solanke's role
Back-to-back Premier League wins have sharpened focus on Roberto De Zerbi's squad, with reports suggesting Tottenham have no plans to sell forward Dominic Solanke next year.
Tottenham Hotspur have won consecutive Premier League matches, a run that has prompted renewed scrutiny of how Roberto De Zerbi is shaping his squad after a difficult start to life in north London.
Independent Sport's analysis of the Italian's methods, published under the headline "How Roberto De Zerbi has FIXED Tottenham", framed the question of just how good this Spurs side might now be, pointing to the back-to-back victories as evidence that De Zerbi is finally getting a tune out of his players.
Among those central to that process is Dominic Solanke, whose long-term future at the club has also come under the microscope. Yahoo Sports reported that journalist Pete O'Rourke has provided an update on the 29-year-old forward's situation, stating that Spurs are not actively planning to sell the Englishman next year.
Solanke's campaign has been a mixed one so far. According to the report, he has scored two goals and provided one assist in ten appearances for Tottenham across all competitions this season, having endured an inconsistent start before producing a run of more encouraging displays in the final third.
His contract situation gives the club room to be patient. Solanke's current deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium runs until the summer of 2030, meaning there is no immediate financial pressure on the club to consider a sale.
The report also set out why Solanke remains valuable to De Zerbi's plans. He was described as able to find a yard of space to shoot, to create chances for teammates, and to use his physical presence, listed at 1.86 metres, to win aerial duels. He was also characterised as a capable goalscorer, albeit one whose contributions in front of goal can be inconsistent.
Even so, the report judged Solanke to be one of the more important members of De Zerbi's squad and someone capable of competing for a regular starting place, noting his familiarity with the demands of the Premier League.
At 29, he was assessed as still being in his playing prime, with the suggestion that he could help Tottenham compete on multiple fronts in the years ahead. The report concluded that De Zerbi would be sensible to retain him for now, with any decision on his longer-term future left until the end of the current campaign.
Taken together, the two strands of reporting point to a club in a period of stabilisation: results improving under De Zerbi on the pitch, and a forward whose immediate future looks secure even as questions remain over his consistency. Any fresh assessment of Solanke's role, or further detail on how Tottenham's form develops under De Zerbi, is expected to follow as the season progresses.