Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant is confident that Manor Solomon can make an impact at Tottenham Hotspur if the Fulham loanee switches Premier League clubs this summer.
How to judge the Israel international’s 2022/23 campaign at Craven Cottage?
Manor Solomon missed almost the entire first half of the season due to a knee injury and ended it on the bench; a purple patch of five goals in five games landing somewhere in between.
With the Shakhtar Donetsk winger set to become a free-agent at the end of the calendar year, however, it seems that Tottenham Hotspur are willing to take a punt, in the hope that stunning spring time run in Fulham colours can be emulated and expanded in the Northern quarters of the capital.
Tottenham eye Manor Solomon after Fulham spell
“Solomon had an amazing season in England. He is an exceptional player. There are not many like him in England,” former Israel boss Grant, who guided Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final, tells One.
“His dribbling ability is amazing. He has game intelligence.
“Today, Tottenham is a bit of a rotten team and if they build something good there, then it’s obviously a right decision for him because it’s a big club.
“He can play there. He proved this year that he can play in the English league, without any doubt.”
The Athletic reports that Tottenham are hoping to sign Solomon on a free transfer this summer, despite the fact that his contract at Shakhtar does not officially expire until December. That is due to a FIFA ruling allowing players to leave Ukrainian football due to the ongoing Russian conflict.
Shakhtar president Sergei Palkin, however, has made it clear that Solomon will not be leaving – not for free, anyway – without an almight fight.
“I contacted Solomon and his agent and invited him back to our club,” Palkin tells ESPN. “I said; ‘you can play all the games in the Champions League, you will be in the starting eleven’.
“But he doesn’t want to (return). I believe he will stay in England.”
“Finally, where he will go, I don’t know. In any case, if you go to Tottenham, we will deal with Tottenham in court in this case.
“Everything comes to a simple situation: it sounds like unjust enrichment. Can you imagine, we pay big money for this player and finally Tottenham receives him for free? It is not fair in respect of our club. We will definitely go to court and we will fight for ourselves.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
