Tottenham: King shares Daniel Levy ‘Mistake’ amid threat of legal action from Shakhtar Donetsk
Ex-Tottenham employee Bryan King has detailed the “mistake” Spurs made amid threats of legal action from Shaktahr Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin following the transfer of Manor Solomon.
Solomon was under contract with Shakhtar Donetsk until the end of 2023 but joined Tottenham on a free transfer last summer by using a FIFA ruling which enables foreign players in Russia and Ukraine to unilaterally suspend their contracts due to the war.
Shakhtar have contested this ruling unsuccessfully and are now taking legal action against specific clubs, with Tottenham one of the clubs they are threatening to take to court.
In an interview with ESPN, Palkin told the American news outlet (19 March), “Since October, we have been diligently engaged in negotiations with Tottenham, but finally Tottenham has not acted in a manner that reflects the principles of fairness and equity.
“In this situation, we feel a sense of disrespect from Tottenham.
“We are going to bring legal action against Spurs if needed, but in any case, why I am appealing to the chairman of Spurs is because I believe he will give his hand and support us.”
A Tottenham spokesman told ESPN, “We made a donation to Shakhtar’s foundation following the friendly last summer and we continue to discuss this situation with them but not via the press.”
Reflecting on the situation, King has shared where he feels Daniel Levy and Tottenham went wrong.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, King said: “The issue is with UEFA not with Tottenham or Daniel Levy. If there is going to be any form of compensation, it has to come from UEFA, not Tottenham.
“Solomon was a free transfer, it is not Spurs’ fault, he could have stayed with Shakthar because they’re playing all of their games in Poland anyway.
“I think it was a mistake from Spurs to offer any form of compensation in the first place. They got Solomon on a free transfer, and that was fortunate for them.
“Solomon has hardly even featured for Spurs, how much did Shakthar know about his knee issues before he moved? There are quite a few loopholes and ways of looking at this.”
Tottenham and Daniel Levy find themselves in a difficult situation with Shakhtar Donetsk regarding Manor Solomon
This will be a massive headache for Levy, with stories like this never a good thing for a club’s reputation.
It is understandable why Shakhtar feel aggrieved, but what is important is the legal complexities of this situation.
If Tottenham have no legal obligation to make any payment to Shakhtar, but rather a moral one, then unfortunately Palkin can have little room for complaint, and his idea to take Spurs to court won’t get him very far.
From Spurs’ perspective, Solomon has hardly made an impact since arriving at the club due to injury issues, and they won’t feel in any mood to make a significant payment for a player who has made just six appearances.
Levy has been doing a fine job as of late from a financial point of view, and he will want this mess resolved as quickly as possible to avoid any unwanted press on the club.
In other Tottenham news, a Spurs expert believes a 2024/25 loan move is on the cards for one forward amid a “difficult situation” in North London.
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