Tottenham's Summer Shake-Up: Manor Solomon Departs for West Ham

Tottenham’s summer of upheaval has claimed another casualty – and James Maddison has just waved him off.

In a pre-season defined by Roberto De Zerbi’s ruthless reshaping of the squad, Manor Solomon has become the latest to walk out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium doors, sealing a permanent move to Championship side West Ham United three years after first arriving in North London.

De Zerbi’s clear-out gathers pace

De Zerbi has wasted little time stamping his identity on this Tottenham squad. Big names have arrived: Sandro Tonali to dictate, Mateus Fernandes to energise, Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi to stiffen the back line, Andy Robertson to add steel and experience on the left.

But for every signing, a departure has followed. Will Lankshear, Luka Vuskovic and Radu Dragusin have already been moved on. The message is blunt: this squad is too big for a club without European football.

Were Spurs juggling midweek trips across the continent, the numbers might make sense. They aren’t. So another name has gone from the whiteboard.

This time, it is Solomon.

Solomon’s quiet impact – and Maddison’s farewell

On paper, Solomon’s Spurs career barely registered. Six senior appearances, no real run in the side, and a constant battle to climb a crowded pecking order in the attacking positions.

Yet inside the dressing room, he clearly left a mark.

Maddison marked the winger’s exit with a heartfelt message on Instagram on 10 August, writing: “Wish you the best of luck, mate! One of the nicest chaps I've ever come across, and helluva player as well! SSG King!”

It was a warm send-off for a player whose best work in England has come away from North London.

Solomon’s standout spell arrived in the 2024–25 season on loan at Leeds United. Given a platform and regular minutes in the Championship, he delivered: 10 goals and 13 assists in 41 games, the kind of end product that turns a loanee into a crowd favourite.

Now he returns to that division with West Ham United, carrying both expectation and affection. For an Israeli international who never truly got his chance at Spurs, the reaction from Tottenham supporters and teammates says plenty about the professional behind the limited minutes.

Spurs unbeaten, but questions linger

While the exits mount up, results on the pitch have offered a different mood. Tottenham are unbeaten in pre-season, a small but useful injection of belief into a fanbase still adjusting to the scale of change under De Zerbi.

Yet the real judgment starts on Saturday, 22 August, when Spurs open their Premier League campaign against Brentford. Pre-season optimism can evaporate quickly under competitive pressure, and De Zerbi knows it.

The squad looks sleeker, more tailored to his demands, but it is also being stretched where it hurts most: in creativity.

Maddison’s setback and a creativity gap

Spurs ended last season with a boost as Maddison finally returned to the pitch towards the end of the 2025–26 campaign. That return has stalled.

The 29-year-old has not featured on Tottenham’s pre-season tour. De Zerbi has confirmed a minor setback and refused to risk his chief creator, a cautious call with the new season looming.

That caution comes at a cost. With Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus all still sidelined, Spurs are heading into Brentford short on natural playmakers. The side needs guile between the lines, someone to thread passes and unlock compact defences. Right now, most of those players are in the treatment room.

Tonali and Fernandes do offer some comfort. Both midfielders have an eye for goal and the confidence to take responsibility in the final third. They can carry some of the burden while Maddison works back to full fitness.

But nobody at Tottenham is under any illusion. If De Zerbi wants this remodelled side to catch fire early in the season, he will want Maddison not just available, but fully sharp – and back dictating games rather than watching them.