Aberdeen Women have appointed Clinton Lancaster as their new manager.

The former Watford Women head coach is the Dons’ first ever full-time women’s team boss.

Director of football Steven Gunn told Aberdeen’s official website that the appointment of Clinton is an important milestone.

He said: “After an extensive recruitment process, we are delighted that Clinton is joining Aberdeen FC as our first ever full-time women’s team manager.

“Clinton is an experienced and qualified coach, manager and teacher who has been passionate and excited about the opportunity to drive the women’s game forward at our club.

“Having a wealth of experience in women’s and girl’s football, and player development, Clinton has enjoyed promotions with both Crystal Palace and Watford in his previous roles.

“We feel he has all the qualities required to build on the good work that has already been undertaken at Aberdeen FC over the last four seasons.”

Lancaster is looking forward to leading Aberdeen into a new era.

He said: “When I spoke to the club, I could really see their vision for the team, and the wider project of developing the women’s football programme here at Aberdeen.

“I can see where the club wants to position itself going forward and that is something I was excited to be a part of.

“Despite being based down south, I am aware of the size of this club, and of course of the women’s league in Scotland.

“It’s a really competitive league and ultimately, we want to continue to build on the great work carried out in recent seasons, but the aim is to become more competitive and challenge ourselves to deliver success.”

Kyogo Furuhashi aims to keep Celtic fans smiling as he prepares for the new season after recently signing a new deal.

After scoring 54 goals in 83 appearances for the Hoops since his arrival from Vissel Kobe in July 2021, the 28-year-old signed a new four-year contract with the Parkhead club earlier in the month.

Furuhashi’s popularity among the Celtic support increased further last season as he helped the Hoops win the domestic treble, and the Japan forward expressed his gratitude for the support, telling the club’s official website: “From children to elderly people, a lot of people are cheering and supporting us.

“Once I step outside of the house and go into the city, many people talk to me, and at the stadium, all the supporters are cheering us from the bottom of their hearts.

“And because they are there, we can compete because I want to see their smiles. I work hard to get the win and they are very important to me.”

On his new deal under “brilliant” new boss Brendan Rodgers, he said: “I’m really delighted, to be honest. I’m happy that it shows how much they value me and want me.

“For the team and for the people who support us, and also for myself, I will continue to improve and to deliver success.”

Rodgers has taken over from Ange Postecoglou who departed for Tottenham at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Following a training camp in Portugal, the Northern Irishman – in his second spell as Hoops boss – will take Celtic to Japan, which will be a homecoming for Furuhashi and Celtic team-mates Reo Hatate, Tomoki Iwata, Yuki Kobayashi and Daizen Maeda.

The Scottish champions will play two games in Japan – against Yokohama F Marinos on July 19 and Gamba Osaka on July 22 and Furuhashi said: “I’m really excited about it and excited to play in front of Japanese fans.

“Many players from Celtic are going so I want them (Japanese fans) to know about us and become our fans.

“Also, many people from Scotland are coming down and I want them to enjoy Japanese culture too.

“They will be two tough games but if we can deliver what we are working and believing in, then they will be good games and the good results will follow, and we will play with high confidence in ourselves.”

As for working under a new Celtic boss, Furuhashi said: “He’s a brilliant manager.

“I’m happy to work with him and I would like to return the favour by playing well to get success.

“We need to work hard together to get as many wins as possible. There will be the Champions League as well so we need to prepare well in order to have good results this season.”

Johanna Konta admits to finding motherhood boring compared to her previous life but said she is “very committed to retirement”.

Caroline Wozniacki is the latest player to announce a return to the sport after retiring and starting a family but Konta insists that is not a path she will be taking.

The 32-year-old announced in December 2021 that she was calling time on her career and she gave birth to daughter Emmeline last September.

She has picked up a racket again to play in the invitational doubles at Wimbledon, where Wozniacki is also in the field, and was very open about the challenges of swapping a professional sporting career for changing nappies.

“A part of me will always miss it just because the kind of adrenaline and the life you live as a successful professional tennis player, you can’t replicate in any part of your life,” said Konta.

“Compared to that, motherhood is frankly quite boring. It’s very monotonous and it’s fundamentally not really enjoyable, for me anyway.

“I love my daughter. When I put her down for naps I get excited for when she’s going to wake up. I’m to the moon in love with my daughter but I think the act of motherhood is actually really tough.

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“It’s monotonous, boring and, compared to what I used to do, which is play on Centre Court and travel the world and live a really selfish existence, to then be thrown into a very selfless existence, it’s a really hard transition, and it’s not fun.

“But I would choose it every single day over playing on Centre Court. I really love what my life was but I am learning to love my life more now.”

Konta has not even been playing tennis socially and described her first day back on court at Wimbledon as “rusty and painful”.

“The first day I was so sore everywhere but the last few days it’s been fine,” she added. “Don’t ask me to move a lot, though. That’s not what it used to be. I’m very committed to retirement.”

While Konta’s retirement was initially overshadowed by Emma Raducanu winning the US Open, the latter’s struggles have thrown into focus what a stellar career her predecessor as British number one put together.

Konta reached three grand slam semi-finals and three more quarter-finals while reaching a high of fourth in the world rankings in 2017.

By contrast, Britain did not have a direct entrant in the women’s singles here or at the French Open and current leading woman Katie Boulter is ranked 89.

“You want British interest,” said Konta, who is carving out a new career in broadcasting.

“You guys want British interest in the second week of grand slams, the players who are playing want to be in the second week. Everyone has the same desire, and also it’s good for the kids back home to see British representation on the female side.

“Everyone’s working towards the same goal, everyone’s giving their best and hopefully it will be happening.”

Raducanu is now down at 132 in the rankings and is unlikely to return until the autumn following surgeries on her wrists and ankle, but she still appears the best British hope of a leading player in the near future.

Konta highlighted fitness as the key to whether Raducanu can return to the top 10, saying: “I think just consistent physical health, for her to get physically robust is probably the number one priority because that has been her biggest hurdle.

“For her to be able to play enough tournaments, enough matches, will give her then the chance to win.”

England's Euro 2022-winning defender Demi Stokes respects players from France, Spain and Nigeria for taking a stance on conditions in women's football ahead of the World Cup.

The preparations of several teams for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand – which begins on July 20 – have been impacted by disputes between players and coaches or federations.

Earlier this year, France dismissed head coach Corinne Diacre after a group of players – including captain Wendie Renard – refused to represent Les Bleues under her.

The Lyon skipper has since been recalled by Diacre's successor, two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner Herve Renard. 

Meanwhile, 15 players told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) they would no longer play under Roja boss Jorge Vilda last September, citing impacts on their "emotional state", though the RFEF has stood by the embattled coach. 

Manchester City left-back Stokes – who was an unused member of the Lionesses squad that won last year's Euros before being overlooked for the World Cup – believes the players involved have their teams' interests at heart.

"Obviously, Wendie Renard has her reasons for why she doesn't want to play for France," she said, speaking at the launch of Pixel FC, a collective of dedicated women’s football creators helping to close the visibility gap within women’s football.

"Without people like Wendie taking a stance – if you look at the Spanish team as well – there's not going to be changes.

"All they're asking for is change [in response] to the challenges, and they are just being authentic to themselves.

"If they said they are not playing for France and then go and play for France, people won't take them seriously. So, I respect what they've done.

"Hopefully things can change, things can be resolved and things can be put into practice to help these players, protect these players and support them. 

"When players take a stance, I think it just shows the characters that they are."

Only three of the Spain rebels – Mariona Caldentey, Aitana Bonmati and Ona Batlle – have been recalled, with Stokes' City team-mates Leila Ouahabi and Laia Aleixandri among those frozen out.

Asked who she was backing in the Spain dispute, Stokes said: "I don't know, I think it's very different when you're in that situation. 

"I've got team-mates who have taken that stance and stuck by it, and then equally you've got players who want to play, and I think everyone's very different. 

"I can't be the one to judge and say, 'you're wrong or right'. It wouldn't be easy for me to just say I'd do that, because in the moment, it can be very different."

Nigeria have also seen their World Cup preparations hampered by an internal quarrel, with players threatening to boycott games if the Nigerian Football Federation reneges on an agreement to split revenue from the tournament.

Asked if she thought the Nigeria squad would follow through on that threat, Stokes said: "I'm not sure. 

"Hopefully they can resolve their issues, and it's probably never nice to boycott, but if they take that stance then they're doing it for a valid reason and they're doing it for a bigger picture and a bigger cause."

The opening race on Wolverhampton’s Tuesday card was voided after Dane O’Neill took a fall from Eagle Eyed Tom.

The gelding, who is trained by Charlie Hills, seemed to stumble and clip heels when leaving the stalls for the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap and unseated O’Neill in the first few moments of the contest.

The race was stopped abruptly before it could be completed and O’Neill was attended to on the track before reportedly being taken off on a stretcher.

Milton Harris is hatching an audacious plan to get Scriptwriter rated highly enough for a tilt at the Melbourne Cup.

The two-mile ‘race that stops a nation’, which will be run at Flemington on November 7, is the richest handicap run anywhere in the world and was worth over £2.5million to connections of Gold Trip, who won it last year.

There there is always fierce competition for a place in the line-up which has a maximum of 24 runners.

But Warminster handler Harris is hopeful the former Aidan O’Brien-trained gelding will show his ability throughout the summer on the Flat, starting with Saturday’s Group Three John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes at York.

“He’s a Group horse, we’ve always thought that,” said Harris. “I’m going to tempt fate. He’s going to run on Saturday at York, I think. The main target has always been the Ebor at York.”

The Ebor victor will be given an automatic entry for the Melbourne Cup, with the York contest the only international win-and-you-are-in race.

Scriptwriter proved himself among the top young hurdlers last season, winning the Grade Two Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham in November.

He also landed a decent all-weather handicap on the Flat at Wolverhampton before being touched off in the Finesse Hurdle back at Cheltenham.

Scriptwriter was seventh to runaway winner Vauban in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot on his return to action last month and while his official Flat rating is 103, he will need to improve if he is to have a chance of going to Australia.

Harris added: “I thought he ran well at Ascot from a bad draw, but just couldn’t win.

“So we are going to York on Saturday and then hopefully the Ebor. If those two races go well, we might have a go at the Melbourne Cup – if you don’t dream, you’ll never have one come to fruition, will you?”

Cyriel Dessers knows there is a void to fill at Rangers following Alfredo Morelos’ departure but he is determined to be his own man at Ibrox.

The 28-year-old Nigeria striker became Michael Beale’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window when he joined from Cremonese on a four-year deal for a reported fee of around £4.5 million.

Dessers will be expected to take over from Colombia striker Morelos, who became a fans’ favourite during his six years in Govan where he scored 124 goals before his contract ran out at the end of the season.

Speaking at a media conference from Rangers’ training base in Germany, Dessers said: “Of course Alfredo did amazing things for Rangers at Ibrox so it is never easy to come after a good striker like he was.

“But on the other side I cannot look at the past.

“I am here for the present and for the future and I hope to do some nice things, some good things for Rangers as well and I hope I can build a similar relationship with the fans but that will depend on our relationship and the things I do on the pitch and off the pitch.

“So I am confident that can work.”

Dessers joins Abdallah Sima, Sam Lammers, Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling and Kieran Dowell as Beale’s new boys for the upcoming season, with the promise of more signings to come in the re-build as Rangers look to take the cinch Premiership title as well as both domestic cups back from Old Firm rivals Celtic following their domestic treble last season.

The former Utrecht, Heracles Almelo and Genk player looks forward to a “new wind” at Ibrox.

He said: “Rangers of course is a massive club: the history, the stadium, the fans, even the city, everything is amazing.

“But apart from that, of course I spoke with the manager as well and he spoke about what is going on now.

“After not such an easy season, there is a new wind at the club and I want to be a part of that.

“I am at a good age right now, 28 is the perfect age where physically at your top level and you have gained some experience from the last years.

“So I think that is a perfect time to play for trophies and hopefully win some trophies and of course the mentality of Rangers which is present at this moment in the team already is clear and it is clear that I want to be a part of that.

“I think I can bring some things, not only football-wise but mentality-wise in the locker room and I hope I can play a role as well in that.”

Neil Lennon revealed earlier in the week that Dessers had been on his radar while he was boss at Celtic but the Belgium-born forward is happy to be at the other side of Glasgow.

Dessers said: “I didn’t know about that at the time.

“I spoke a couple of times with Rangers in the past years and the contact has always been close so I am happy to finally be here now.

“The first contact came during Covid and it was a difficult time for a lot of clubs to make deals and after that there was always contact and casual conversations.

“If you scored goals you will probably be on some club’s radar but that is not an issue, I am happy to be here.”

Royal Ascot scorer Porta Fortuna could be tasked with taking on the colts following her impressive triumph at the summer showpiece last month.

The daughter of Caravaggio provided Frankie Dettori with his 80th winner at the Royal meeting when storming to Albany Stakes success and the form of that victory was given an immediate boost when the runner-up Matrika won the Group Two Airlie Stud Stakes only eight days later.

Having now struck twice at Group Three level in her three appearances to date, trainer Donnacha O’Brien is keen to keep his unbeaten filly at six furlongs for the time being and she could get the chance to showcase her talent in Group One company if lining up in the Curragh’s Keeneland Phoenix Stakes on August 12.

O’Brien said: “She’s very good and has come out of the race well. We gave her an easy week after the race to freshen her up and she’s back in full work now and everything is going well.

“She’s very straightforward and I suppose she’s a dream filly to ride as she has plenty of pace, travels well, has a turn of foot and also keeps going at the end as well. She’s just a very smart filly.

“We’re thinking of going for the Phoenix at the minute, the Group One at the Curragh. We’ll have to take on colts, but we’d like to give her another run at six. We’ll put her in the Lowther (York, August 24) as well as a back-up, that’s about a week or two afterwards.”

Connections then hope all roads will lead to the Breeders’ Cup, where Porta Fortuna’s American owners will have the opportunity to cheer on their filly in their own backyard.

“I suppose later on in the year the targets will be races like the Cheveley Park (Newmarket, September 30) and the Breeders’ Cup,” added O’Brien.

“We’ve got a few more runs to go before we get there so I’m sure we’ll learn a bit more about her by the time, but the obvious one would be the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf (Santa Anita, November 3) unless for some reason we thought we would go back in trip to the (Juvenile Turf) Sprint.

“The Breeders’ Cup was always the main aim for her at the end of the year, but she’s got a few races to go first and we’ll take each one at a time.”

Porta Fortuna is not the only filly at O’Brien’s Tipperary base with the potential to become a high-ranking two-year-old and the handler also has lofty ambitions for the Niarchos family-owned Mysteries who opened her account in good style at Cork.

“She’s a lovely filly and one we’ve always thought plenty of,” continued the Group One-winning trainer.

“The plan at the minute is to go for the Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown (July 27) and then for a seven-furlong filly there’s a very obvious programme, so it will be there, the Debutante (August 19) and the Moyglare (September 10), all being well.”

Meanwhile, one-time Derby hope Alder is on the comeback trail from the setback which ruled him out of Classic action and could return at Dundalk in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Diamond Stakes on September 29 before getting his passport stamped at the back-end of the year.

“He’s good and we gave him a bit of a break but he’s back in work now,” said O’Brien.

“I’m provisionally aiming him at a Listed race in Dundalk in September and then all being well, we could potentially go travelling with him after that.”

Chris Eubanks has the potential to be a worldwide star after his breakthrough at Wimbledon, according to former American number one James Blake.

The 27–year-old had never made it past the second round at a grand slam until his amazing run in SW19, where he has knocked out last year’s semi-finalist Cameron Norrie and fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on his way to a quarter-final against Daniil Medvedev.

Although the American – who won his first ATP Tour title in Majorca before Wimbledon – has been on tour for some time, his profile has exploded in the United States.

And Blake, who reached a career-high of fourth in the world rankings, has backed him to compete at the very top of the men’s game.

“He has become a superstar back home, which is great to see because he just deserves it, he is the most genuine guy,” said Blake.

“He’s taken advantage of his huge moment, he played so well last week in Majorca and now just playing with that confidence he is going to go far and I do think he has a chance against Medvedev.

“He is playing free and loose and you can see what can happen when you have got a big game and play with a lot of confidence.

“He has got to be a contender now to become a worldwide star, he has got the personality for it.”

Eubanks’ run at Wimbledon means he will now get star billing at the US Open next month and Blake has backed him to embrace it.

“It is going to be new for him but he is going to be one of the stars there, he might be on the side of a bus, he might be up on billboards,” said Blake, who mentored Eubanks earlier on in his career.

“And for him a year ago to be playing Challengers in Korea and toiling away, to be a star in New York is going to be hopefully a life-changing experience for him in a positive way.

“I hope he enjoys being a superstar because that is what he is in the making.”

Kim Clijsters has also played a role in Eubanks’ development after giving him some advice.

“It’s all his credit, I didn’t do anything, just send a few text messages,” she said.

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“We’ve gotten to know each other well since we played World Team Tennis together.

“He’s a great guy, a very open mind. We had really long conversations talking about my experiences in tennis when I was a teenager to still being around now.

“He wants to learn. It’s just great to see he’s doing so well. He’s enjoying it.

Oaks winner Soul Sister has been supplemented for Friday’s Grand Prix de Paris by John and Thady Gosden, with Kieran Shoemark deputising for the suspended Frankie Dettori.

Shoemark partnered the Lady Bamford-owned filly in a recent piece of work on Newmarket’s July course, although Dettori has ridden the daughter of Frankel in all three of her starts this season, with Robert Havlin in the saddle when she won her sole outing as a juvenile.

She gave Dettori a seventh Oaks and his 23rd British Classic success when beating Savethelastdance by a length and three-quarters at Epsom.

However, with the 52-year-old Italian having picked up a whip ban at Royal Ascot, Shoemark comes in for the ride on the filly, who is the sole British-trained runner in a field of eight for the Group One prize at ParisLongchamp.

Soul Sister bounced back from defeat on soft ground in the Fred Darling on her three-year-old debut at Newbury to land the Group Three Musidora at York.

She is the only Group One winner in the line-up, with connections happy to pay the €15,000 supplementary fee.

Thady Gosden said: “Obviously it is the last mile-and-a-half three-year-old race in Europe and unlike the Irish Oaks, it gives you time to come back for the Nassau at Goodwood.

“The Irish Oaks is a little too close to Goodwood if you wanted to take in both races, and we are looking forward to running her at Longchamp.

“Kieran partnered her on the Rowley Mile last week and was happy with her and she has done some routine work subsequently.”

Adelaide River and Peking Opera, respectively runner-up and fourth to Aidan O’Brien stablemate Auguste Rodin in the Irish Derby, remain in contention, while Andre Fabre, who has won the Grand Prix de Paris a record 13 times, relies on First Minister, who landed the Group Three Prix Hocquart at the same track last time.

Caroline Wozniacki is confident she will be able to compete with the top players again when she comes out of retirement next month.

The former world number one, who has two children, announced last month she would be ending her three-year exile this summer and will return for the American hard court swing that begins after Wimbledon.

The 33-year-old, who won the 2018 Australian Open and reached two US Open finals, was at the top of the women’s game for the best part of a decade before she called time on her career in 2020.

Since then Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have broken away to form a ‘big three’ but Wozniacki says that if she can compete with Serena Williams then she should be able to hack it against the current crop of players.

Speaking ahead of her appearance in the women’s invitation doubles at Wimbledon, she said: “I have played them before, I know exactly what I am up against. I know they are playing extremely well and aggressive and consistent and it is going to be a tough challenge but I am up for the challenge.

“I have fought tough players before and fought my way around so I am going to do the same this time.

“Obviously there are a lot of good players out there and it is a high level of tennis but I played with the greatest of all time in Serena. She’s the best player I ever played and she isn’t around anymore so that feels good to me at the moment! I am happy not to have to play her anymore.

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“I am not putting a time on how long I will play, just see how the body holds up, see how I feel, how the kids and everyone does.

“I am excited to be back and excited to be playing and hopefully it will be my best tennis yet.”

Wozniacki, who resumes her professional career in Montreal later this month, is one of several mothers who are playing on tour.

And the Dane believes she may now have less pressure when she is competing.

“I think for me, I will go out there and enjoy myself and play the way I have been practising and that is all you can do, give it the best when you are out there,” she said.

“My family and my kids is the most important thing in my life to me so I know that if I win or lose they won’t look at me any differently.

“It is going to be a great experience for us as a family to have the kids see a little bit of the world and meet new people and see new cultures. It is such a good learning experience for them so young before they go to real school.”

Kim Clijsters is a flagbearer in the modern era for returning to the tour after having children, winning the US Open in one of her first tournaments back by beating Wozniacki in the final.

And she says the Dane will need to get to grips with new challenges as she resumes her career.

“When you get into a situation like that when you’re a mother but you also become a professional athlete again, you have an expectation of how you did it before and the time that goes into it,” Clijsters said.

“That was for me a little bit hard at the beginning to balance, am I going to put six, seven hours a day focusing on myself again and how do I feel about that?

“You have to leave your daughter or your kids behind so I struggled a little bit with that in the beginning but then you learn that there’s other people that are really good at taking care of your kids too.

“I think that was a little bit of a challenge mentally to get that motherly instinct – you don’t push it aside but you have to balance that so you have enough of both. I think that will be probably the biggest challenge at the beginning.”

Caroline Wozniacki is confident she will be able to compete with the top players again when she comes out of retirement next month.

The former world number one, who has two children, announced last month she would be ending her three-year exile this summer and will return for the American hard court swing that begins after Wimbledon.

The 33-year-old, who won the 2018 Australian Open and reached two US Open finals, was at the top of the women’s game for the best part of a decade before she called time on her career in 2020.

Since then Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have broken away to form a ‘big three’ but Wozniacki says that if she can compete with Serena Williams then she should be able to hack it against the current crop of players.

Speaking ahead of her appearance in the women’s invitation doubles at Wimbledon, she said: “I have played them before, I know exactly what I am up against. I know they are playing extremely well and aggressive and consistent and it is going to be a tough challenge but I am up for the challenge.

“I have fought tough players before and fought my way around so I am going to do the same this time.

“Obviously there are a lot of good players out there and it is a high level of tennis but I played with the greatest of all time in Serena. She’s the best player I ever played and she isn’t around anymore so that feels good to me at the moment! I am happy not to have to play her anymore.

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“I am not putting a time on how long I will play, just see how the body holds up, see how I feel, how the kids and everyone does.

“I am excited to be back and excited to be playing and hopefully it will be my best tennis yet.”

Wozniacki, who resumes her professional career in Montreal later this month, is one of several mothers who are playing on tour.

And the Dane believes she may now have less pressure when she is competing.

“I think for me, I will go out there and enjoy myself and play the way I have been practising and that is all you can do, give it the best when you are out there,” she said.

“My family and my kids is the most important thing in my life to me so I know that if I win or lose they won’t look at me any differently.

“It is going to be a great experience for us as a family to have the kids see a little bit of the world and meet new people and see new cultures. It is such a good learning experience for them so young before they go to real school.”

Kim Clijsters is a flagbearer in the modern era for returning to the tour after having children, winning the US Open in one of her first tournaments back by beating Wozniacki in the final.

And she says the Dane will need to get to grips with new challenges as she resumes her career.

“When you get into a situation like that when you’re a mother but you also become a professional athlete again, you have an expectation of how you did it before and the time that goes into it,” Clijsters said.

“That was for me a little bit hard at the beginning to balance, am I going to put six, seven hours a day focusing on myself again and how do I feel about that?

“You have to leave your daughter or your kids behind so I struggled a little bit with that in the beginning but then you learn that there’s other people that are really good at taking care of your kids too.

“I think that was a little bit of a challenge mentally to get that motherly instinct – you don’t push it aside but you have to balance that so you have enough of both. I think that will be probably the biggest challenge at the beginning.”

Tottenham have announced the signing of attacker Manor Solomon on a free transfer.

Spurs moved to bring former Fulham loanee Solomon to the club after he was able to cancel his deal with Shakhtar Donetsk.

The diminutive winger has agreed a five-year contract with Tottenham after he returned to the country from holiday last weekend and passed his medical on Monday.

Solomon was allowed to cancel his contract with Shakhtar and sign for Spurs after FIFA in May extended its temporary employment rules relating to the war in Ukraine.

Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, foreign players contracted to clubs affiliated to Ukrainian or Russian football associations can “unilaterally suspend their employment” until June 30 2024, provided teams are informed of the suspension in writing by July 1.

With Solomon’s previous terms with Shakhtar due to expire on December 31, he was able to become a free agent after he exercised the right to suspend his current employment with the Ukraine outfit.

The wide forward becomes the fourth addition completed by Tottenham this summer, with Dejan Kulusevski’s loan move being made permanent while last month Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison sealed transfers to the Premier League club.

Israel international Solomon showed flashes of his potential during his loan with Fulham last season despite waiting until January to make his full debut due to a serious knee injury.

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When the 23-year-old was fit, he scored five goals in 24 appearances to earn admirers at Tottenham.

Solomon could face old club Shakhtar in a friendly on August 6 after it was announced last month that Spurs would host the Ukraine champions.

The Premier League side are set to make a financial contribution to Shakhtar’s charitable foundation while an additional donation of net proceeds from ticket sales has been promised to help with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Tottenham remain in the hunt for new central defenders with talks continuing with Wolfsburg over the signing of Micky ven de Ven.

Spurs also hold interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba and Tosin Adarabioyo of Fulham, but outgoings are another area of priority after Harry Winks recently left to join Leicester.

The club’s stance on Harry Kane remains unchanged despite Bayern Munich’s growing interest.

Kane will return to training on Wednesday, but speculation over his future continues to intensify with only a year left on his deal.

The PA news agency understands Tottenham have offered the forward a new contract that is an increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms.

While Kane is yet to make a decision on the contract, Spurs’ stance remains the same with their star striker not for sale.

Spurs fly out for their pre-season tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore on Friday and a decision will need to be made over whether captain Hugo Lloris is part of the travelling party given interest from Inter Milan.

Tottenham are open to selling Lloris for the right offer and an agreement could even be reached to terminate his terms a year early, PA understands.