Israeli star Manor Solomon is on the move again joining West Ham United on a 3-yeard deal with an option for a fourth as the Championship club will look to their new #10 to help them earn promotion back to the top flight English Premier League.

The 27-year old winger, began his career at Maccabi Petach Tikva and won a trio of Ukrainian league titles with Shakhtar Donetsk while he also played in the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and the Serie A in Italy. He helped Leeds United earn promotion by winning the Championship in 2024-25 while season he was loaned out by Tottenham to Villarreal and Fiorentina where he helped the “Viola” avoid relegation.

After the ink dried on his new contract, Solomon spoke to the West Ham website about his arrival at the club, goals, expectations and much more.

“So first of all, in the first year, everyone knows what our goal is,” Solomon began. “The goal is to go up, back to the Premier League and then in the future, of course, to be competing for Europe in the Premier League. I think West Ham is a massive Club in England and it deserves to be in the top half of the Premier League.”

Solomon spoke about his knowledge of the club and the fact that a number of Israelis had played for West Ham in the past, “I know it’s a really big Club in England and I’ve been in England for four years already, so now I know better that West Ham is a big Club with really top fans, really passionate, really, really strong, so that’s why I wanted to come here. West Ham has a rich history both in the Premier League and in Europe. It’s a Club that won a European trophy just three years ago, I think this is where the Club should be and I’m here to help the Club to be where it belongs.”

“As for Benayoun and Berkovic, I know Yossi really, really well. He’s my friend, as well as Eyal. I know that they were really successful here at West Ham and they are maybe the best players Israeli football has ever had. So I want to be at least as successful as them or to be also successful here at West Ham.”

As for the reasons Solomon decided to join West Ham, he spoke about how both the manager Nuno and the Director of Player Development Nils Koppen discussed a plan as to how the Israeli would be one of their leading players.

“I spoke both with the manager and with Nils. They showed me the project, what they want to build there. As I say, of course, our first task is to get promoted, to go back to the Premier League. I really like all the ideas and everything they have presented for me. As I said, I’ll try to give my all in the first season and then in the seasons ahead. I want to be here for a long time and I want to make the fans really happy. I had a few options but from the first moment, after the discussions with the gaffer and with Nils, this is the place I want to be at. It’s an ambitious Club, a really big Club with amazing fans, so I wanted to be part of it.”

There are tens of thousands of season ticket holders and the West Ham supporters pack the stadium week in and week out which is something that is exciting for Solomon, “It’s a massive Club. Over 50,000 fans will be here every game. It means a lot. It means the Club is really, really big, really massive. There is a huge fan base and it tells all the story about this beautiful Club.”

Solomon has played in the top leagues as well as in the UEFA Champions League which means he has plenty of top level experience but also knows how to handle the pressure that will come with playing at a club like West Ham.

“I like pressure and I like challenges. I’m just 27, but I feel like I’ve been through a lot. I’ve played in the Premier League, in Spain, in Italy and in the Champions League, so I feel like I’ve got a lot of experience. But I feel like I’m just reaching my peak now and I have a lot of good years ahead of me. I want to be a better player. I want to be really consistent. I want to show myself. I’m really happy to be here and hopefully I’ll do it in the West Ham jersey.”

When Solomon not only played for Leeds but helped them earn promotion to the Premier League by scoring 10 goals and assisting on 12 others, “I had a really difficult year with Tottenham the year before it. I was really struggling with injury, so that’s why I made the decision to go to Leeds. I really enjoyed every moment in the Championship. In the end, it ended the best way possible and hopefully it will happen the same here at West Ham. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m really looking forward to seeing all the fans.”

As for what Solomon brings to the table, he knows that his assets will be crucial for the club’s success, “I’m a winger. I’m trying to be tricky. I’ll try to go on 1v1s and to provide as many goals and assists as possible. Also I will help in the defensive role as we know that nowadays it’s really, really important even for attacking players. So, I’ll try to give my all to bring my talent, my qualities and to be a good person off the pitch.”

This Sunday, Solomon will make his debut against Burnley and he is ready to go, “I’m really fit and I’m ready to go. I had a really good pre-season with Tottenham. I was involved in all the games, so I’m feeling good and ready to go.”

Finally, Solomon had a message to all of the West Ham fans, “I’m really, really happy to be here. I’m looking forward to seeing them all at the stadium. I’ll try to bring my all and try to make them happy. Come on you Irons!”