The crisis at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club confounds logic. The club has a top manager, spent big in the summer, and has a squad that should be nowhere near the bottom of the table (albeit probably nowhere near the top either).Notwithstanding this, Spurs failed to score in their first four Premier League games for the first time in history. The club is currently languishing at the bottom of the table, with a paltry two goals to show from more than 486 minutes of football.So what has gone wrong?IncomingsAndrew RobertsonFreeMarcos SenesiFreeMartin DubravkaFreeJan Paul van Hecke£52mMateus Fernandes£85mSandro Tonali£100mSavinho£85mOmar Marmoush£60mTosin Adarabioyo£12mMykhailo MudrykLoanTotal spent£394mOutgoingsLuka Vuskovic£50mWill Lankshear£20mRadu Dragusin£21mAlejo Veliz£7.7mAlfie Devine£6mTynan Thompson£8mManor Solomon£7mCristian Romero£34.1mAshley Phillips£20mDjed Spence£30mKevin Danso£25mPape Matar Sarr£25.6mTotal received£254.8mTottenham’s net spend£139.2mPhoto by SpursWebThe Harry Kane void at Tottenham HotspurThe loss of Harry Kane cannot be overstated. Between the 2016/2017 and 2022/2023 seasons, Kane was Tottenham’s top Premier League goal scorer in all but one season.While no one was ever going to replace Kane, the failure to sign a consistent top-quality out-and-out striker has proven a major issue.In the 2025/2026 season, the club scored 48 Premier League goals. That is in stark contrast to 86 goals scored by Spurs in 2016/17, and consistent 60-70 goal seasons since.The goals are also being spread across the squad, with Brennan Johnson, Joao Palhinha and even Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven joining strikers Dominic Solanke and Richarlison amongst the top goal scorers in recent years.An underperforming Spurs frontline The Tottenham hierarchy were content to replace Kane with Richarlison and Solanke. In hindsight, it is hard to view this decision as anything other than a significant misstep.Richarlison’s time at Spurs has been marred by injury, and having essentially extricated himself from the club, it appears he will end with 27 Premier League goals in 103 appearances.Solanke’s tenure at Spurs to date has been equally frustrating; in addition to injury problems, he has scored just 12 goals in 46 Premier League appearances.Concerningly, Solanke has shown a tendency to go missing. There have been too many games where he has been conspicuously absent, including the 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa last week.It could certainly be argued that the service to Solanke has been lacking; but the reality is that a £65m striker needs to adapt. Was Ivan Toney a missed opportunity for Tottenham?It is hard to put too much weight on transfer rumours, because it seems every player in every league is linked with a move to Spurs come the transfer window.However, Ivan Toney was on his way out of Brentford back in 2024, and Tottenham was touted as a potential destination. Putting to one side any wage demands, and whether a deal was ever realistic, he was exactly the type of striker Spurs needed.In 83 Premier League appearances for Brentford, Toney netted 36 goals. Aside from having a substantially better return than Richarlison and Solanke at Spurs, he has a self-belief that is precisely what Tottenham is currently missing.In the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland, Toney came on for England having played approximately 30 minutes all tournament. He then proceeded to step up and slot home a no-look penalty for a country that carries such weight of expectation and such a poor track record in shootouts.Contrast Toney’s assured nature with Tottenham in recent weeks, where it has looked like the team is simultaneously scared of scoring and scared of not scoring in equal measure.While it is an easy observation to make from the cheap seats, Toney would have been an exciting signing for a club that is now crying out for an out-and-out striker.Credit: @reclusemedia / InstagramWill Tottenham’s goal woes continue?When Conor Gallagher registered Tottenham’s first Premier League goal of the season against Aston Villa last week, it felt like a weight was lifted from the players’ shoulders. This was perhaps underscored by Jan Paul van Hecke scoring another consolation goal minutes later.Ultimately, Tottenham will score more goals; Savio has looked dangerous, and there appears to have been a recognition that Omar Marmoush is better suited to the wing in a front three. The team will also continue to gel, as the new recruits settle and get to know each other.Notwithstanding all that, there is still a familiar feeling that Spurs has missed the wood for the trees. While the money was flowing out the door, the focus was on Spurs spending more than £300m. The better number to focus on would’ve been the number 9.READ MORE – When Tottenham’s 15 internationals return to Hotspur Way for trainingThe post Tottenham spent more than £300m in the summer, but forgot the number 9 appeared first on Spurs Web.