Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of forward Manor Solomon on a free transfer.
Solomon, who played for Fulham last season on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, has agreed to a five-year-deal deal with Spurs.
In his first season in Premier League, the 23-year-old Israel international broke onto the footballing scene as a member of Fulham FC, scoring in five straight games from February 11 through March 6, which made him the first Israeli player to ever accomplish that feat.
Welcome to Tottenham Hotspur, @ManorSolomon! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/PuJZKY0lQC— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 11, 2023
Solomon’s impressive play over the season attracted buyers from all over Europe, including the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal and RB Leipzig.
Ultimately though, it seems like the winger opted for Tottenham, a club rich with a rich and storied Jewish influence and fanbase. The Athletic have also reported that Tottenham’s influential fanbase in Israel and London’s Jewish community were added incentives for Solomon to sign for the North London side.
He now joins the likes of James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario to become Spurs’ third arrival in the summer transfer window, as new manager Ange Postecoglou has started gearing up the new squad for a successful run next season.
The winger’s deal with Spurs runs until 2028, subject to international clearance and a work permit.
However, it follows a threat from Shakhtar chief Sergey Palkin after efforts to bring the star back to Ukraine appear to have fallen flat.
When war broke out in Ukraine, FIFA allowed foreign players to terminate their contracts with Ukrainian clubs. And this is when Solomon sought out the likes of Fulham who recruited him on loan.
FIFA recently announced that Annex 7 would be extended through to the summer of 2024, allowing Solomon, who still had five months left to run on his Shakhtar contract, to move to a new club.
Shakhtar Donetsk is trying to negotiate with Tottenham over a fee for losing Solomon to the Premier League since last month when the side threatened to sue Spurs if they tried to sign Solomon on a free transfer.
“We are sure Tottenham executives understand that Shakhtar invested significant money in the Solomon transfer, an investment that Ukrainian clubs in our difficult position simply cannot afford to lose,” Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin told The Athletic.
Regardless, Solomon will be able to line up against his former teammates next month, when Spurs host Shakhtar in a friendly at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, August 6.