Tottenham's Squad Overhaul: Solomon Departs as De Zerbi Reshapes Team
James Maddison watches another friend walk out of the Tottenham door, and the churn under Roberto De Zerbi shows no sign of slowing.
The latest departure is Manor Solomon, who has left Spurs for Championship side West Ham United on a permanent deal, three years after first arriving in North London. On paper, it is a minor move from the fringes of the squad. Inside the dressing room, it clearly lands a little heavier.
Maddison marked the winger’s exit with a warm message on Instagram, a nod to a bond built away from the cameras. “Wish you the best of luck, mate! One of the nicest chaps I've ever come across, and helluva player as well! SSG King!” he wrote on 10 August. Six senior appearances or sixty, that kind of tribute tells its own story.
De Zerbi’s ruthless reset
Sentiment, though, is taking a back seat at Tottenham this summer.
Since walking through the doors, De Zerbi has ripped into the squad with purpose. Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have all arrived, heavyweight reinforcements for a manager intent on reshaping the club in his own image.
At the same time, the exits have started to stack up. Will Lankshear, Luka Vuskovic and Radu Dragusin have already been moved on, and Solomon now joins that list. The message is blunt: this squad was too big, especially for a team without European football on its calendar.
If Spurs were juggling midweek trips across the continent, such depth might be a luxury worth keeping. They are not. Domestic competitions will define their year, and De Zerbi has decided there is no room for passengers or projects who will not see regular minutes.
Solomon, for all his promise, fell into that category.
Solomon’s route back to the Championship
His impact at Tottenham was limited in terms of appearances – just six senior games – but his talent has never really been in doubt. It was on loan at Leeds United in the 2024–25 season that he truly caught fire, scoring 10 goals and supplying 13 assists in 41 games. Those numbers turned heads and reminded everyone why he arrived with such excitement.
Now, the Israeli international returns to the Championship, this time with West Ham United, a club with serious expectations of promotion. It is a step down in division, not necessarily in pressure. The affection pouring in from Spurs fans and players alike suggests they will watch his progress closely.
For Tottenham, it is another clean cut in a summer of hard decisions. For Solomon, it is a chance to be a leading man again rather than an understudy.
Spurs unbeaten, but questions linger
On the pitch, De Zerbi’s overhaul has started promisingly. Spurs are unbeaten in pre-season, a run that has injected optimism into a fanbase desperate to believe this version of Tottenham can finally sustain a challenge.
Yet pre-season is a rehearsal, not the show.
The real test arrives on Saturday, 22 August, when Brentford visit on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. Between now and then, De Zerbi knows the script can still change. Transfers, injuries, late decisions on who stays and who goes – the usual summer turbulence has not finished.
And one issue looms larger than most: James Maddison’s fitness.
Maddison missing as creativity crisis bites
The 29-year-old playmaker returned to action late last season, but he has been conspicuously absent from Tottenham’s pre-season tour. De Zerbi has confirmed a small setback and, with that, a familiar anxiety has crept back in.
Spurs already face a creativity drain. Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus are all still sidelined, stripping the side of established attacking sparks just as the serious football begins. For a manager who thrives on structured chaos and sharp combinations in the final third, that is a significant headache.
Tonali and Fernandes do at least offer threat from midfield, both blessed with an eye for goal and the confidence to take responsibility in big moments. They will need to shoulder that burden early on if Maddison does not make the Brentford clash.
Tottenham can cope without him for a while. They know that. But in a season already defined by bold choices and big departures, how long can a team with such ambition afford to be without one of the Premier League’s most influential creators?
