West Ham United‘s preparations for their upcoming clash with Lincoln City have been hit by a potential distraction involving London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with compensation talks threatening to develop into a legal dispute.
The Hammers are looking to bounce back after dropping points against QPR, with Nuno Espirito Santo determined to see an improvement from his players as they prepare for another physical encounter.
“It’s going to be a very tough match. There are things we have to improve – we have to start the game better. A good result is important – we need to keep building momentum,” the Portuguese manager explained.
Nuno also provided an update on his squad’s fitness ahead of the fixture, revealing that there were no significant new injury concerns, but Keiber Lamadrid is still out.
The West Ham boss is expecting a physical challenge from Lincoln, drawing comparisons with the problems presented in the 2-2 draw at Millwall.
“They are a very good team in terms of what they do. They’re aggressive and physical, so it’s going to be very tough.
“We have to do things different [to Millwall], and improve. They might approach things similarly, they’re very direct, and they do that well.
“You cannot repeat the same mistakes. I hope we learn from that moment (at Millwall).”
West Ham will nevertheless head into the contest as favourites, despite a hectic summer transfer window that saw Nuno oversee significant changes to his squad.
Several new arrivals are still finding their feet at the London Stadium, and one of those summer signings has now found himself at the centre of an emerging dispute involving his former club.
|
West Ham’s summer signings |
Club |
Fee |
|---|---|---|
|
Arne Engels |
Celtic |
£25m |
|
Edvin Austbo |
Viking FK |
Undisclosed |
|
Manor Solomon |
Tottenham |
£5m |
|
Keiber Lamadrid |
Deportivo La Guaira |
£1m |
|
Joël Veltman |
Brighton |
Free |
|
Joel Piroe |
Leeds |
Loan |
|
Divine Mukasa |
West Ham |
Loan |
Tottenham facing compensation demand after Manor Solomon’s West Ham transfer
Shakhtar Donetsk are preparing to reopen compensation discussions with Tottenham following Manor Solomon’s £5m summer transfer to West Ham. The Ukrainian club claim they reached a previously undisclosed verbal agreement with Spurs when Solomon joined the north London side on a free transfer in 2023, entitling Shakhtar to a share of any future sale.
Solomon left Shakhtar after FIFA introduced regulations allowing foreign players at Ukrainian and Russian clubs to suspend their contracts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Shakhtar were furious at losing the winger without receiving a transfer fee, having valued the Israel international at approximately €20m (£17m) at the time.
However, chief executive Sergei Palkin has now revealed that the two clubs held discussions over a potential compensation arrangement, which he believes should be honoured following Solomon’s move across London.
“We had arguments and discussions with Tottenham,” Palkin explained. “Verbally, we agreed that when they sell the player, they will pay us part of the sale.”
Palkin confirmed that Shakhtar intend to formally approach Tottenham with their proposals, but are prepared to escalate the dispute if negotiations prove unsuccessful.
“If they are friendly and we agree, then this issue is closed. It’s better to do it in a friendly way,” Palkin added, revealing they could refer the matter to the European Club Association or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), raising the prospect of a significant legal dispute.
The Israel international had struggled to establish himself at Spurs following his arrival in 2023, with injuries disrupting his first season before subsequent loan spells took him away from north London.
He enjoyed a productive spell with Leeds United during the 2024/25 campaign, helping the Yorkshire club secure promotion to the Premier League and demonstrating the attacking quality that had initially attracted Tottenham.
His move to West Ham offered the winger another opportunity to establish himself in the second tier, with Nuno hoping to benefit from his creativity and ability to operate across the attacking positions.
For now, Solomon’s focus will be on helping the Hammers improve their results, starting with the trip to Lincoln. However, his summer transfer could yet have financial consequences for both clubs, with Shakhtar determined to revisit an agreement they believe was made more than three years ago.