James Maddison's Future at Tottenham Amid De Zerbi's Squad Reshuffle
James Maddison watches another friend walk out of the Tottenham door, a reminder that Roberto De Zerbi’s new era in North London comes with a ruthless edge.
The Italian has not tiptoed into this job. He has torn into the squad, reshaping it with the kind of conviction that leaves no room for sentiment. Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have all arrived, heavy-duty signings for a side not burdened by European football this season.
Unbeaten in pre-season, Spurs have offered their supporters a glimpse of something sharper, more assertive. But pre-season is a dress rehearsal. The real judgement comes on Saturday, 22 August, when Brentford arrive and the Premier League campaign finally starts to count.
Between now and then, the revolving door keeps spinning.
Solomon makes way
Manor Solomon is the latest casualty of the squad squeeze, leaving Tottenham to join Championship side West Ham United on a permanent deal, three years after first landing in North London.
His Spurs career never really caught fire. Just six senior appearances in the shirt, flashes rather than a full picture. Yet he clearly left a mark inside the dressing room.
James Maddison marked the winger’s exit with a heartfelt message on Instagram on 10 August, writing: “Wish you the best of luck, mate! One of the nicest chaps I've ever come across, and helluva player as well! SSG King!”
That is not the language of a teammate merely being polite. It is the tone of a player who knows a good footballer – and a good character – has slipped away.
Solomon’s most convincing audition for English football actually came away from Spurs. On loan at Leeds United in the 2024-25 season, he delivered 10 goals and 13 assists in 41 games, a productive, confident campaign that reminded everyone why he was so highly regarded when he first arrived.
Now he drops back into the Championship with West Ham, expected to be among the heavyweights in the division. For an Israeli international who barely had a look-in at Tottenham, the response to his departure has been strikingly warm. Inside the game, reputations are not built only on minutes played in one shirt.
De Zerbi trims the excess
Solomon’s exit is part of a broader clear-out. Will Lankshear, Luka Vuskovic and Radu Dragusin have already gone, and more could follow. De Zerbi is not interested in carrying passengers or padding numbers for the sake of it.
If Spurs were juggling European fixtures, a bloated squad might be a luxury they could justify. They are not. Every place in the dressing room has to matter. Every player has to be close enough to the starting XI to feel the heat.
The message is blunt: if you are not central to the project, you are expendable.
Maddison waits, Spurs hold their breath
All of this churn happens while Maddison himself stands on the outside looking in.
The 29-year-old creative fulcrum returned to the pitch late in the 2025-26 season, a welcome sight after his injury troubles. Yet he has been conspicuous by his absence in pre-season, not risked during Tottenham’s tour after what De Zerbi described as a minor setback.
Minor or not, it matters. Spurs open against Brentford with a growing injury list in attacking areas. Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus are all still sidelined, stripping the side of natural invention and end-product in the final third.
This is precisely the kind of moment when Maddison’s craft, his ability to dictate tempo and unlock deep defences, would usually define Tottenham’s approach.
Instead, De Zerbi must lean on the new core. Tonali and Fernandes both bring goals from midfield, an eye for late runs and shooting positions that can tilt tight games. They are not like-for-like replacements for Maddison, but they do offer threat, and Spurs will need every ounce of it until their chief creator is fully fit.
The club insist they will not rush him. They cannot afford another long lay-off. Yet the clock to Brentford keeps ticking, and the Premier League does not pause for rehabilitation schedules.
Tottenham should cope without Maddison for a while. With the squad trimmed, the system sharpened and new signings eager to justify their fees, they have enough to compete.
But in a season that already feels like a hard reset under De Zerbi, one question lingers over North London: how far can this new-look Spurs go if their most influential playmaker is not on the pitch when it matters most?
