Tottenham Hotspur spent approximately £334 million this summer on new signings, following back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League.
That eye-watering figure is before add-ons and bonuses, meaning the £334 million could rise to £394 million.
Spurs have brought in solid defenders, reliable midfielders and tricky wingers, but they have failed to sign the one kind of player every team needs to win games: a goalscorer.
On paper, they may not have needed to bother. Dominic Solanke joined from Bournemouth just two years ago for up to £65 million and Richarlison finished the season in decent form.
The way things have turned out, though, has seen Solanke struggle on his return from injury and Richarlison appears to have been frozen out by Roberto De Zerbi.
Now, Tottenham are facing a dilemma. It doesn’t matter how expensive or talented their new boys are, because they can’t put the ball in the back of the net.
What options did Tottenham have?
Options up top are thin for the Lilywhites. Versatile attacker Dejan Kulusevski hasn’t played in over 15 months, last featuring for Spurs against Crystal Palace in May 2025.
However, in 2024/25 he netted seven Premier League goals and eight in the campaign before that.
Last season, Richarlison scored 11 league goals, including two in the final three matches of the season, which helped Tottenham avoid relegation to the Championship.
Fast forward a couple of months, and the Brazilian striker isn’t even part of the 25-man Premier League squad.
Richarlison had told De Zerbi that he wanted to leave the club, but a suitable move failed to materialise before the deadline passed. As a result, the forward has found himself frozen out of matchday squads.
Solanke suffered an injury-hit 2025/26 campaign and scored just three times in 15 league appearances. However, in his maiden season for Tottenham in 2024/25, the Englishman scored nine goals in 27 matches.
In the opening stages of 2026/27, he’s not hit the ground running. The Everton match was his first Premier League start of the season, having previously featured for no more than 22 minutes in a match.
The 29-year-old was off the pace to say the least. He had 20 touches – nine fewer than goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky – three touches in Everton’s penalty area and didn’t manage a single shot at Jordan Pickford.
His lack of threat led to him being axed shortly after the hour mark.
All of this leaves us looking at the last man standing: Omar Marmoush.
Why is Marmoush under immense pressure?
Tottenham signed Marmoush on loan with an obligation to buy for up to £60 million. Having donned the white kit on just three occasions so far, he has been challenged to solve Tottenham’s attacking crisis.
De Zerbi publicly challenged Marmoush to change his habits and score simpler, crucial goals.
He said: “In terms of goalscoring, Marmoush is not Harry Kane, but he is capable of scoring more goals than he has in the last two seasons. At Frankfurt he scored a lot of goals. He is capable of scoring more and he has to demand that of himself. Even the easy goals, he needs to change his habits after getting used to scoring brilliant goals.”
While what De Zerbi is saying isn’t necessarily wrong, it could be damaging for Marmoush. The burden of scoring goals has now been placed on Marmoush’s shoulders.
He must carry the weight of expectations Tottenham fans have heading into the next couple of games before the international break and beyond.
It feels like it could have been an unwise thing to say. You have to think about the potential effect this could have on Marmoush if he doesn’t start scoring goals and fans continue to get irate with the team.
All the talk and blame could end up at his door, purely because De Zerbi made what some would call an irresponsible comment.
Alternatively, Marmoush could take that constructive criticism and use it to become Tottenham’s talisman, change the fortune of their start to the season and get back on track in the Premier League.
In two seasons at Man City, the Egyptian scored 10 Premier League goals in 37 appearances, which isn’t a bad return by any stretch of the imagination.
But that was with a team where Erling Haaland carried the majority of the goalscoring responsibility.
How will Marmoush deal with being the focal point in a team that has endured over two seasons of misery? Only time will tell.
Who were Spurs linked with this summer?
Spurs had their chances in the summer to strengthen up top to prevent this goal drought. While Marmoush can play up top, he has more often been utilised on the left flank for Egypt and Man City.
De Zerbi promised more ‘BOMBA’ signings – and he did deliver those – but a striker was blatantly needed too.
It was clear for all to see. If you don’t score goals, you can’t win games. Tottenham should know that more than anyone, having lost 17 last season.
They were linked with Amine Gouiri, whom De Zerbi was fond of during his time at Marseille. An ambitious move for Victor Osimhen was also on the cards, as well as some links with Nicolas Jackson.
Whether it was an old friend from the south of France or a rival’s out-of-favour forward, signing a striker simply had to happen.
According to Sky Sports, Spurs wanted an out-and-out goalscoring centre-forward, so why did they leave it so late?
Why now are they weighing up making a £40 million bid for Bundesliga striker Igor Matanovic?
It’s panicky, it’s reactive, and it’s not a good look.
What next?
There is one more league match before the international break, meaning they could be without a goal until October if they don’t get their act together.
Aston Villa visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at 12:30pm this Saturday in the final Premier League game before the league pauses for almost three weeks.
Recent history isn’t on their side, as Villa have won four of the last five meetings across all competitions. However, Tottenham did come out 2-1 victors in their last meeting.
It’s been over six hours of football without a goal for Spurs. Something has to give.
The tactics – out tomorrow at 12pm
Written by Isabelle Martin
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