Tottenham has come under fire for allegedly exploiting the Ukraine war to acquire Manor Solomon, a winger, from Shakhtar Donetsk without paying a fee.

FIFA allowed non-Ukrainian players to terminate their contracts following Russia’s invasion, and Tottenham took advantage of this opportunity by signing Solomon in July 2023, even though he was contracted with Shakhtar Donetsk until the end of 2023.

Serhiy Palkin, Shakhtar’s CEO, expressed his anger and disappointment toward Tottenham’s actions, especially since they had invested €25 million (£21.2 million) in the Israeli international in 2019. He likened their behavior to that of “a robber on the road,” suggesting they took advantage of the war.

Palkin also revealed that he proposed a sell-on fee of 30 to 40 percent to Tottenham, but they countered with an offer of only 10 percent, which he deemed disrespectful. He contrasted this with the behavior of Real Madrid and Corinthians, who paid Shakhtar for the loans of Vinicius Tobias and Maycon, respectively.

The Ukrainian club is considering legal action against Tottenham, with Palkin emphasizing the moral aspect of the case. Solomon, who has not played for Tottenham since September due to a serious knee injury, featured in five of the team’s first seven league games last season.

• Tottenham acquired Manor Solomon from Shakhtar Donetsk for free last summer
• Shakhtar’s chief executive believes they exploited the war in Ukraine

Tottenham has been accused of exploiting the war in Ukraine to sign winger Manor Solomon for free last year. Solomon was under contract with Shakhtar Donetsk until the end of 2023, but FIFA allowed non-Ukrainian players to suspend their contracts after Russia’s invasion, leading to Tottenham’s acquisition of the Israeli international in July 2023.

Mano Solomon joined Tottenham for free from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer

Shakhtar’s chief executive Serhiy Palkin (pictured) believes Spurs behaved ‘like a highway robber’

Shakhtar’s chief executive, Serhiy Palkin, is furious with the situation, especially since his club had paid £5.1 million for Solomon in 2019 and received nothing in return four years later. He expressed his disappointment in Tottenham’s behavior, stating, “I cannot believe this kind of club with a huge history – not just European level, world level – that they can behave like this.”

Palkin further emphasized, “From my point of view, it’s not acceptable behavior. They have taken advantage of the war.” He likened Tottenham’s actions to that of “a robber on the road,” indicating their lack of respect and exploitation of the difficult circumstances in Ukraine.

The Shakhtar CEO also revealed that he proposed a sell-on fee of 30 to 40 percent to Tottenham, but they countered with an offer of only 10 percent, which he deemed disrespectful. He contrasted this with the behavior of other clubs, such as Real Madrid and Corinthians, who paid Shakhtar for the loans of Vinicius Tobias and Maycon, respectively.

Solomon has not played for Tottenham since September after suffering a serious knee injury

Palkin hinted at possible legal action against Tottenham, emphasizing the moral aspect of the case. He stated, “We have two sides, a legal side and a moral side. The court will decide the legal side, but on the moral side, I talked with Tottenham about the immoral nature of their actions.”

Solomon featured in five of Tottenham’s first seven league games last season but has been sidelined since September due to a serious knee injury. The club’s handling of this situation has sparked criticism and raised questions about the ethics of their player acquisition during a time of crisis in Ukraine.