The coach of Tottenham Hotspur, Roberto De Zerbi, must wait until next Sunday to be in charge for the first time in the Premier League against Sunderland.
The Italian coach joined during the break to replace Igor Tudor in North London, but the Lilywhites were absent this weekend due to their exit from the FA Cup.
That will give the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss more time on the training ground to prepare the squad for his first game in charge, however, which is a good idea in this situation.
Spurs lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest before the international break and need a strong comeback to move away from the relegation zone.
De Zerbi could make a number of changes to the XI selected by Tudor at Tricky Trees, with Dominic Solanke one of the players to be dropped.
Why De Zerbi must abandon Solanke to Spurs
This England player should be released by the Italian manager as he has failed to perform well in front of goal this season, and throughout his time in this club.
Since signing from Bournemouth for a club-record fee of £65m, Solanke has scored 12 goals in 39 Premier League appearances for the Lilywhites, including one in his last seven games.
In the 2024/25 campaign, the England international scored nine goals from 10.97 xG in the top flight, which speaks volumes for how wasted he has been in front of goal during his Spurs career so far.
While there have been moments of magic, such as kicking a scorpion kick against Manchester City, the lack of consistency with the club’s record signing is worrying.
That’s why De Zerbi should look for other options in the team to play for the rest of the season, before he uses the summer transfer window to add fire to the team.
Spurs teenager who could be the next Harry Kane
There is a young player in the academy at Spurs who could be released as De Zerbi’s version of Harry Kane to replace Solanke right away.
Kane, of course, came through the academy system with the Lilywhites before scoring 280 goals in 435 appearances for the club before moving to Bayern Munich, leaving Tottenham as a goalscorer.
Now, 18-year-old striker Mason Melia could follow in his footsteps if De Zerbi decides to bring him into the first team to replace Solanke in the coming weeks.
The Ireland U21 international officially joined from St. Patrick’s in the January transfer window and scored three minutes into his U21 debut on Saturday against West Ham United.
Melia was in the right place at the right time to score, which is the hallmark of all good midfielders, and his record of major goals to date is further proof of his ability to position himself well.
The 18-year-old scored 25 goals in 98 games for St. Patrick’s top level, despite turning 18 in September 2025, and scored 13 goals in 29 league starts in the 2025 campaign.
For context, Kane had already scored five goals in 18 appearances on loan at Leyton Orient at first-team level by the time he turned 18, meaning Melia is more experienced and has scored more goals than the England captain at the same age.
|
2025 Premier Division |
Melia |
|---|---|
|
Appearance |
35 |
|
Goals |
13 |
|
Minutes per goal |
199 |
|
Great opportunities have been created |
5 |
|
It helps |
3 |
|
Duels won per match |
3.9 |
A return of 13 goals in 35 league games for St. Patrick in Melia’s final season was an incredible success because he was 17 for most of that campaign.
The star has been described as “fire” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and his stats for club and country bear that out, having scored 16 goals in 38 appearances for Ireland at various youth levels.
Melia’s form of Ireland, St. Patrick’s, and, now, Tottenham’s U21s suggest he is ready to make a move to be given the chance to shine in the Premier League, especially with Solanke’s consistency.
The 18-year-old has the potential to emerge as De Zerbi’s replacement for Kane, as an academy player who could become a top scorer, which is why the Italian should let him go in the coming weeks.
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