Manor Solomon spent the winter shuttled between two loan clubs and out of Tottenham's plans. On Saturday, in front of a sell-out 80,363 crowd at Sydney's Accor Stadium, he gave English football writers reason to ask why Spurs keep leaving him out.
The Israeli winger set up Sandro Tonali's first goal in Tottenham colours as Spurs beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Sydney Super Cup, a feisty pre-season friendly that also produced a Kevin Danso red card three minutes into the second half and a stoppage-time winner from Richarlison.
Solomon's pass found Tonali arriving late into the box; the Italian's side-footed effort took a deflection off Levi Colwill and wrong-footed the goalkeeper. Chelsea levelled four minutes later through Estevao, before Danso's dismissal for scything down Joao Pedro left Tottenham to see out the win with ten men.
According to ONE, the assist and Solomon's overall display drew pointed praise from the English press covering the match. Football London gave him a 7 out of 10 rating and wrote that he "looked lively," adding that Tottenham "doesn't use him enough" and that he was one of the few Spurs players to repeatedly exploit the team's quick transitions.
The BBC's coverage singled him out too, describing "a wonderful assist with a precise cross from the Israeli" that put Tottenham back in front, while a Tottenham supporters' site credited him with "a smart assist" for Tonali's opener.
The reviews land at an awkward moment. Solomon only returned to north London for pre-season after a loan at Villarreal was cut short in January and he was immediately sent out again, to Fiorentina in Serie A, where he made 16 appearances and scored twice.
Spurs Web reported this week that manager Roberto De Zerbi has already told the 26-year-old he is not part of his plans for the season, with the club open to letting him leave permanently rather than out on another loan. "I also know he really appreciates me, but the situation at Tottenham is different," Solomon said of his relationship with the Italian coach, who previously worked with him at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Fiorentina are reported to retain interest in a permanent deal but want Tottenham to significantly lower their asking price, leaving the two clubs some way apart with the transfer window still open.
Solomon has been down this road before. Since joining Tottenham from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023, he has rarely settled, with injuries and squad competition pushing him out on loan for three of his four seasons at the club, including a productive spell at Leeds United during their Championship-winning 2024-25 campaign.
Saturday's assist changes little about his immediate prospects at Tottenham. But if pre-season notices from the English press are any guide, there are already voices in London wondering whether letting him go would be a mistake.
