As there were few signs of Son Heung-min’s renewal, interest arrived in Turkey following European big clubs.
Turkiye daily Millyette reported on the 19th (Korea time) that “Galatasaray rolled up his sleeves for a transfer operation that would surprise the world.”
Son Heung-min has been in the spotlight since last summer due to news on his contract renewal. “Tottenham has informed Son that they have no plans to renew the contract,” said Graham Bailey, a reporter at the BR Football Club. “Son Heung-min and his camp were shocked by the club’s decision,” he said. “Son Heung-min and his camp discussed a new contract with Tottenham, and both sides were positive about the contract extension, but the club seems to have suddenly changed its attitude.”
The news came after Tottenham’s invocation of a one-year extension option, which gave it a boost. Earlier on the 4th, the British Telegraph reported, “Tottenham will activate a one-year extension option for Son Heung-min, so that he will stay with the team after this season.” “Tottenham signed a new contract with Son Heung-min in 2021, and the expiration of the contract was scheduled for seven months later. The club is known to have an option to extend it by one year. Tottenham just needs to notify Son of the invocation of the option, and we have found out that Tottenham intends to do so.”
A leading reporter also acknowledged the reason for the news. Fabrizio Romano, an expert in the European soccer transfer market, said on his SNS account on Tuesday that Tottenham is seeking to expand his contract with Son until 2026. Announcing the invocation of the option to extend his contract to Romano, it has been confirmed that Son will be accompanied by Tottenham until 2026.
Against this backdrop, Galatasaray has shown interest, drawing keen attention again to Son’s future. “Galatasaray is chasing Son. Galatasaray, who will break up with several wingers in the summer transfer market and send Hakim Ziyech, wants to recruit another world star to fill this position. We will offer an appropriate transfer fee in January for Son, whose contract expires next summer. We will also try to recruit Son through free agency,” Millyet said.
Even if he does not choose to go to Galatasaray, news about Son Heung-min’s renewal situation will continue to appear. News has already spread that Son Heung-min expressed regret because he was not offered a contract renewal, and interest in the situation between Tottenham and Son Heung-min has grown. The British Spurs Web said, “It is reported that Son Heung-min will not be offered a long-term contract, and the news surprised Son Heung-min. According to the news, this is not a good impact, and Saudi Arabia is looking at an opportunity to recruit him. Saudi Arabia can secure a considerable amount of transfer funds in the summer, and Son Heung-min is also on the top list.”
Tottenham reportedly extended its contract with Son Heung-min until 2026 through this one-year extension option and even considered sales after that, and there were continued speculations that the renewal would fail. Son Heung-min also hinted that there was no negotiation until this season, when his contract was about to expire. When Son Heung-min attended a press conference ahead of the Europa League against KarabakhFK and was asked about the renewal, he said, “We haven’t said anything yet.”
The reason why Tottenham chose to extend the contract by one year instead of renewing the contract was simple. It was to save money. Give Me Sports of the U.K. said, “Tottenham will sign a 12-month contract extension instead of offering Son a new contract that is profitable. The leadership of the club has decided to maintain a cautious attitude rather than putting more pressure on the salary,” adding that the leadership of Tottenham is reluctant to give Son a large amount of money by renewing the contract for a long time.
Considering Son’s salary level, Tottenham’s attitude is all the more regrettable. Son is currently receiving around 190,000 pounds (342 million won) of weekly salary from Tottenham. When converted into annual salary, it is around 9.88 million pounds (17.8 billion won). It is the highest salary at Tottenham, and it is true that the salary is higher than average even within the English Premier League.
However, it is shocking to compare the top payers of the big six teams with their names. Among the current English Premier League players, some of the biggest club’s aces are Kevin DeBrouchner, Mohamed Salah, Bruno Fernandes, and Declan Rice who are getting paid more per week than Son. However, the list also includes a number of players who were disappointed in their performance and skills than Son, including Antony, Harry Maguire, Jack Grealish and Wesley Fofana.
Along with Galatasaray’s interest, attention is expected to continue on Son Heung-min’s future course. If Tottenham does not seek a long-term renewal of Son Heung-min, there is a good chance that Saudi Arabia will show great interest. Some European teams have already reportedly wanted to recruit Son when the possibility of him being released as a free agent was mentioned. Spain’s El Nacional said, “Barcelona will try to reinforce its offense. The player Han Ji Flick will choose is very clear. Several key conditions have been approved by Deku, and the experience, horse, and differentiated talent are conditions. One of them is Tottenham star Son Heung-min,” he said, expressing the possibility of going to Barcelona. 먹튀검증
In addition, it was mentioned that big clubs are paying attention to Son Heung-min’s contract situation, including Manchester United and Bayern Munich, and recently, it was reported that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) could target Son Heung-min if Tottenham failed to advance to the European Champions League.
However, Son wants to stay despite such circumstances. The cutoff side of the U.K. said, “Tottenham Legends Son Heung-min is expected to stay at the club after next summer.” “Although there were many uncertainties about Son’s future after the start of the 2024-2025 season, it has been reported that he will stay at the club after next summer. Son said there has been no discussion about a new contract with Tottenham yet. German reporter Florian Flettenberg said Son will stay at the club after the summer of 2025. This is because he is expected to extend his contract to 2026 through extension options. Son is also known to want to stay at Tottenham.”
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Tottenham is focusing on finding a player to replace Son Heung-min instead of renewing his contract right now.
Give Me Sports of the U.K. said, “Tottenham is making plans for a long-term successor to Son Heung-min. That is why it has triggered a one-year extension for Son. Tottenham officials have sent scouts to watch Scob Olsen, a member of Club Brugge. Tottenham could be a good opportunity for Olsen. Tottenham needs a long-term plan in preparation for Son’s transfer, and it would be wise to replace him with a young player between the ages of 20 and 25.”
In addition to Olsen, several candidates have recently been mentioned as Son’s replacement. England’s cut-off side stated, ‘Tottenham has begun to compete to recruit Son’s outstanding successor. Tottenham has already sent a scout for information on Lille’s outstanding talent, Hakon Arnar Haralsson,’ and promising strikers such as Espanyol striker Harvey Poido have received Tottenham’s attention as the successor to Son.
Along with the possibility of Son Heung-min’s transfer, interest has also arrived in Turkey. Tottenham’s clear response to renew the contract is expected to be needed to block various transfer interests that shake Son Heung-min.
