Roberto De Zerbi’s feelings on Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke have now come to light as Spurs go in search of a new striker in the January window.The Tottenham head coach has given Solanke and Omar Marmoush several opportunities, but they have not managed to repay his faith, with the pair having a combined tally of just two Premier League goals between them this term.D. Solanke v Omar MarmoushTottenham – League Cup (2026 – 2027), Tottenham – Premier League (2026 – 2027)D. SolankeOmar Marmoush12Appearances10572Minutes Played7496.70Average Rating6.6112Shots175Shots on Target72Goals11Assists01Yellow Cards10Red Cards00Penalties Scored0Stats correct as of 11 November 2026.The lack of goals has been the Lilywhites’ main issue so far this season, with the club having failed to score in half of their 10 league games so far.It thus does not come as a surprise that Spurs are expected to prioritise signing a number nine in January, with a whole host of centre-forwards from around Europe being linked with a move to N17.However, the January window can be notoriously hard to operate in, with many top players unlikely to be available mid-season.Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty ImagesRoberto De Zerbi remains a big fan of Tottenham striker Dominic SolankeEven though Solanke has looked well short of his best so far this season, the Tottenham boss has continued backing him publicly.Speaking after the club’s 1-1 draw against Man Utd last month, De Zerbi insisted that Solanke has come in for too much criticism, and insisted that the former Bournemouth man is the ideal option to lead the line for his side.The Tottenham boss said at the time about the 29-year-old: “He deserves to be a captain today, because he suffered maybe too much, because ‘Tottenham didn’t win, Tottenham didn’t score, who is the striker of Tottenham? Solanke is not good enough’, it’s not true. Solanke is good enough to play, maybe he is the best striker for us, because his qualities.“He is a complete player, he is a good guy, he has personality, he has to feel good in terms of his physical condition, but he is a great player, and I wanted to show what is my confidence, and what is the importance I give him in this team.”Some fans may think that the Italian is not being completely honest about his feelings on Solanke and may simply be attempting to rebuild the striker’s confidence by praising him.However, journalist Ben Jacobs has said that according to his sources at Spurs, the 46-year-old is indeed a big fan of the former Bournemouth star.Speaking about Tottenham’s striker search, Jacobs said on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness Podcast: “What they won’t want to do is necessarily go all in and panic buy in January for someone on a long-term contract, instead of just biding their time and waiting it out.“Because you’ve got Dominic Solanke, who is liked, according to my information, by Roberto De Zerbi. So they’re short on goals. But, they’re not actually that short, in my opinion, of attacking options, they just maybe could use a luxury extra number nine option.“But if everyone’s fit, Roberto de Zerbi won’t be pressing the panic button. So they could move for a striker in January, but only if the right target presents itself.”The big striker decision Spurs have to make in JanuarySeveral sources have said that Tottenham are prepared to splash big cash on a striker in January if they find a suitable option on the market.However, the reality is that many of the best forwards in world football are unlikely to be available mid-season. For example, reports indicate that Bournemouth have no intention of selling Eli Junior Kroupi in January.E. Kroupi v D. SolankeBournemouth – League Cup (2025 – 2026), Bournemouth – FA Cup (2025 – 2026), Bournemouth – Premier League (2025 – 2026), Tottenham – UEFA Super Cup (2025 – 2026), Tottenham – FA Cup (2025 – 2026), Tottenham – Premier League (2025 – 2026), Tottenham – UEFA Champions League (2025 – 2026)E. KroupiD. Solanke35Appearances211846Minutes Played11776.30Average Rating6.7138Shots2126Shots on Target1613Goals60Assists05Yellow Cards10Red Cards02Penalties Scored0Stats correct as of 11 November 2026.Rather than spending £50m- £60m on a striker who is not seen as an ideal choice, Tottenham may prefer to keep their powder dry so that they can spend £80m-£100m to land someone like Kroupi next summer.However, there is no question that De Zerbi’s men need another body upfront, given that Richarlison is not part of Tottenham’s plans, and the Lilywhites may even be tempted to go for a stopgap option in the winter.READ MORE: Tottenham’s top 10 hardest-working players revealed by sprint and distance statsThe post What Roberto De Zerbi privately thinks about Dominic Solanke may worry Tottenham fans appeared first on Spurs Web.