English Soccer Club Tottenham Hotspur Reportedly Eyeing Israeli Soccer Star Manor Solomon

Shiryn Ghermezian

Fulham’s Manor Solomon in action with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Nelson Semedo during a match on February 24, 2023. Photo: Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

The English Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur is reportedly a top contender to possibly offer a deal to Israeli soccer player Manor Solomon as the white-hot striker will be able to leave the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk this summer.

In June 2022, FIFA wanted to help protect foreign players based in Ukraine or Russia impacted by the war and amended its Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) to allow the athletes to freely suspend their employment contracts until June 2023. Last week, on May 22, FIFA announced its decision to extend that ruling for another year — until June 30, 2024. Solomon’s contact with the Ukrainian team already expires on December 31, 2023, and now after that, because of FIFA’s new ruling, he can sign with a new club for no fee.

Solomon, 23, have been putting on an impressive performance while on a year-long deal with Fulham since the summer of 2022 after suspending his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk following the start of Ukraine’s war with Russia. The former Maccabi Petah Tikva player scored five goals in five consecutive games with Fulham and is also one of only four Fulham players to strike in four consecutive Premier League matches. In February, he was nominated for FIFA’s Premier League Player of the Month award and the Premier League’s Budweiser Goal of the Month award. He was nicknamed “Manor Star” by his former boss at Maccabi Petah Tikva and fellow Fulham winger Neeskins Kebano said he calls his teammate Pikachu, after the electric Pokemon character, “because he’s fast as lightning.”

Solomon previously scored four goals in 16 Champions League appearances with Shakhtar.

The Atlantic reported that although Fulham would like to sign Solomon to a permanent deal, Tottenham is currently leading the pack of teams that want the Israeli player, who will likely have other offers.

Fulham was close to signing Solomon permanently in June 2022 for $7.6 million but the deal was never finalized because FIFA then announced its ruling about foreign players, The Atlantic added. Fulham instead signed Solomon on a one-year free loan.