New Signings Incoming, But These Spurs Players Must Step Up First
Written by Noah J.N.
Tottenham Hotspur, a global icon and one of the most recognizable entities in the footballing world, has now finished 17th in back to back years. A sequence of results that Spurs fans once felt immune to, has seemingly transformed the club and its strategy going into the 2026/2027 Premier League season. Confirmed rumors over the acquisitions of players like Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Adam Wharton have signaled real ambition in the transfer window that the North London fans have been asking for, for a while now. With it only being one week into the transfer window, the Lilywhites have already made 3 important signings, and are continuously being linked to others. With new signings and new names being flashed across every Tottenham fan’s eyes, it can be easy to forget what Tottenham needs from the players already inside the building.
As of right now, there have not been any concrete links to a new striker. Although the idea of a new number nine has been mentioned, most links have come from the midfield, defense, and the left wing. Dominic Solanke appeared in only 15 Premier League matches last season for Tottenham, scoring only 3 goals, with no assists. Solanke did however find his feet in European football last season, playing 3 matches against Borussia Dortmund, Atlético Madrid, and Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring in all 3 matches.
If Spurs are not going to sign a statement-making striker, and look to rely on Solanke next season, his health will be at the forefront of every Spurs fan’s mind. Solanke has proven he can play at the top level and stay healthy, appearing in and starting all but one match in his sixth season with Bournemouth. Scoring 19 goals and 3 assists, it was a season where Solanke forcefully grabbed the attention of big clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Chelsea. If Tottenham are going to have a season that steers away from their past two finishes, the striker is going to play a big part, and Solanke has proven he has the ability to do so. But his ability to stay healthy is another question.
With the departure of Guglielmo Vicario looking more and more likely, Antonín Kinský is set to be the club’s starting keeper going into the season. The 23-year-old became infamous for his Champions League debut against Atlético Madrid, where an early slip gifted Marcos Llorente the opener, and a horrible mis-kicked clearance allowed Julián Álvarez to make it 3-0 after just 17 minutes.
The performance was almost as shocking as the career-rebound the keeper made, ending the season with Tottenham Hotspur a hero. With Vicario dealing with hernia issues, Kinský was given the keys to finish the season, and he took advantage. In seven games, Kinský came away with two clean sheets, a match-winning save against Wolves, two incredible saves to escape with a point against Leeds, and a diving effort to secure three points and Tottenham’s safety late in the game against Everton on Matchday 38. Kinský has been credited with an incredibly strong mindset, managing a career turnaround that had the media and fans standing up for applause. With this confidence going into the next season, it could help propel Kinský into a concrete number one keeper for Tottenham Hotspur, giving De Zerbi the keeper with the distribution skills he needs to make his system flourish. Kinský will play an important role next season, and his performance could be the key factor of Tottenham’s success.
As Tottenham prepare to go into the new season under Roberto De Zerbi, the atmosphere around the stadium will be a big mix of excitement and nervousness, and the attention will rightly be on the new signings the club has backed De Zerbi with. But if the Lilywhites are going to move on from their 17th place finishes, it will take an effort from everyone on the pitch, including those who played a part in the club’s disastrous results lately. With Roberto De Zerbi winning the hearts of the fans and the club, it is up to the players to help the Italian manager prove just how dominant his tactics can be, and whether this summer’s investment will finally deliver the progress supporters have been waiting for.
