It took a little while and there’s a touch of controversy in the deal, but Manor Solomon is officially a Tottenham Hotspur player. The club announced that the 23-year old Israeli winger is joining Spurs on a five year deal, subject to a work permit. There was no mention of his wages.
We are delighted to announce the signing of Manor Solomon
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 11, 2023
Solomon becomes Tottenham’s third signing of the summer after Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison (if you don’t include Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro having their loans made permanent). He’s a low downside/high ceiling player who showed glimpses of real ability while on loan at Fulham last season, though it’s unlikely that he’ll be contributing significant minutes with Tottenham out of Europe and only playing one match per week.
The controversy comes from the fact that FIFA issued an edict essentially allowing foreign nationals playing for Ukrainian clubs to basically tear up their contracts due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. That means while Spurs are following protocol, Shakhtar are not at all happy about this deal, and there’s kind of an “ick factor” in this signing depending on who you speak to. Tottenham will host Shakhtar early next month for a friendly to benefit the Ukrainian club’s charity, but Shakhtar’s CEO has already said he wants a better resolution (i.e. money) in compensation.
But that’s not Manor’s problem. He’s joining a Tottenham team that is retooling to make itself leaner, younger, and more attacking under Ange Postecoglou. And if he’s as good as what his believers say his is, he’ll be able to prove himself on the pitch.
Welcome to Tottenham, Manor Solomon!
