Tottenham Hotspur's Squad Reshape: Manor Solomon's Departure
James Maddison is watching another familiar face walk out of the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room. The clear-out under Roberto De Zerbi has claimed its latest casualty: Manor Solomon.
The Italian has wasted no time reshaping this squad for 2026-27. Big names have come through the door – Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson – and plenty have been ushered out. Will Lankshear, Luka Vuskovic, Radu Dragusin have already gone. Now Solomon joins them.
In truth, Spurs’ squad had swelled to a size that never made sense for a club without European football. If they were playing Thursday nights on the continent, this depth would be a luxury. In the current reality, it is a problem De Zerbi has chosen to solve with a firm hand.
Solomon moves on, but not unnoticed
Solomon’s time at Tottenham never really got going in the way many expected when he arrived three years ago. Just six senior appearances in a Spurs shirt tell their own story. Yet the reaction to his departure shows how much he impressed those around him away from the spotlight.
The winger has joined Championship side West Ham United on a permanent deal, returning to a division he knows well after his outstanding spell at Leeds United in 2024-25. That season at Elland Road showcased the player Tottenham thought they were getting: 10 goals and 13 assists in 41 games, a constant threat cutting in from wide areas, a creative spark in a relentless campaign.
Back then, he looked like a player ready to make the step up and force his way into Spurs’ long-term plans. Instead, he heads back to the Championship, this time in claret and blue rather than white, but with his reputation firmly intact.
One message in particular captured the mood in North London. Maddison took to Instagram on 10 August to say goodbye: “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 short post, but it spoke volumes. For all the limited minutes, Solomon clearly left a mark inside the dressing room.
The Israeli international departs with a sense of unfinished business at Premier League level, yet with the respect of his peers and a fanbase that had only glimpsed what he might have become.
De Zerbi’s ruthless rebuild
While the tributes roll in, De Zerbi’s rebuild rolls on.
Spurs have moved through pre-season unbeaten, a useful platform for a fanbase desperate to believe this project is heading in the right direction. Performances have carried a sharper edge, a sense of structure and intent that aligns with the manager’s demanding style.
But pre-season is a mirage until the real thing starts.
Tottenham open their Premier League campaign at home to Brentford on Saturday, 22 August. Between now and then, there is still room for more movement in and out, and De Zerbi has shown little inclination to carry passengers.
The message is blunt: if you are not central to the plan, you are expendable.
Maddison’s race against time
While Maddison has been saying his goodbyes off the pitch, his absence on it is becoming a concern.
The 29-year-old returned to action late in the 2025-26 season, a welcome sight after previous setbacks. Yet he has not featured in pre-season, with De Zerbi confirming a minor setback and refusing to risk his chief creator on the summer tour.
That caution is understandable, but it leaves a glaring question: will Maddison be ready for Brentford?
Spurs’ list of absentees in attacking areas is already significant. Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus are all still sidelined, stripping the side of three major sources of invention and goal threat. In that context, Maddison’s fitness becomes more than a subplot; it is central to how Tottenham will look on opening day.
The irony is that, for once, Spurs are not completely bereft of ideas without him. Tonali and Fernandes both bring goals from midfield and a willingness to take responsibility in the final third. They will not replicate Maddison’s profile, but they can shoulder some of the creative load.
Even so, there is no disguising it: Tottenham are a different side when their No. 10 is on the pitch, dictating tempo, threading passes, dragging defenders into places they do not want to go.
De Zerbi will hope this “small setback” is exactly that – nothing more sinister, nothing season-defining.
Because as Tottenham trim the fat, reshape the squad and wave goodbye to players like Solomon, the success of this new era may yet hinge on keeping “one of the Premier League’s most influential players” fit and firing when it matters most.
