It’s not a simple ‘sled’ atmosphere.
The possibility of Son moving to Turkiye has been raised. His destination is Galatasaray, Turkiye’s most prestigious Galatasaray. “Galatasaray is seeking to recruit Son amid concerns over Son’s future at Tottenham,” Tottenham Hotspur News reported on Tuesday (Korea time). “Turkiye media reported that Galatasaray will send out Hakim Ziyech and are eyeing Son as a substitute. Turkiye media claimed that if Son’s transfer is successful, it will cause a stir in the region. The contract between Son and Tottenham will expire after the end of the season, and Tottenham has an option to extend the contract for one year.”
Prior to the announcement, Turkiye’s Contra Sports said that Galatasaray is preparing a transfer process that will surprise the world, and is targeting Tottenham star Son Heung-min. In order to recruit Son whose contract with Tottenham ends next summer, the company plans to offer an appropriate transfer fee in January. If it fails, we will seek to recruit Son again next summer, and there will be no transfer fee. Panatic of Turkiye also said that Galatasaray is preparing to recruit Son, whose contract with Tottenham ends next summer. He will try to bring him back without a transfer fee.
The Hard Task Force of the U.K. went one step further on Monday. Tottenham said they will set up a negotiation table over Son’s transfer. “Galatasaray is aiming to recruit Son, and will coordinate the negotiation schedule with Tottenham,” The Hard Task Force said. “Galatasaray wants to bring Son in at a discounted price in the January transfer market. Tottenham will also negotiate with Galatasaray over Son soon.”
This is not the first time that Son Heung-min has been transferred to Turkiye. As news of the renewal of the contract was delayed, there were even talks that Fenerbahce, a prestigious Turkiye club where Jose Mourinho was newly appointed in the transfer market last winter, wanted Son Heung-min. Chairman Daniel Levy came forward to settle it, but news of Son Heung-min’s renewal is still not heard.
Son’s future seems to be coming to an end with the implementation of a one-year extension option. There was even a “HERE WE GO” official comment. Fabrizio Romano, one of the most prestigious players in the European transfer market, said on his SNS account that Tottenham launched an option to extend his contract with Son until 2026.
On the 4th, the British Telegraph said, “Tottenham will soon invoke the option of extending Son’s contract for one year.” “Tottenham signed its last contract (four years) with Son in July 2021, and the club reportedly has the option to extend the contract for another year,” adding, “Tottenham just needs to let Son know that it is exercising the option of extending the contract. Both Tottenham and Son agree to invoking the option.”
The Daily Mail reported on the 6th that Tottenham will extend Son’s one-year contract and maintain the contract even after the end of the season. “Son Heung-min’s existing contract is scheduled to expire in June, and Tottenham is trying to avoid the risk that rival clubs will talk to him in January to leave for the FA,” it said. TBR Football reported that “Tottenham has announced to Son that it has no plans to discuss a new contract with Son Heung-min.” “Son Heung-min was very shocked by the club’s decision. The club negotiated a contract renewal with Son Heung-min and his camp, and the two sides agreed, but it seems that the club suddenly changed its attitude.”
Tottenham seems to be reluctant to offer Son, who will turn 33 next year, an additional contract. In addition, Son has been suffering from frequent injuries recently. He seems not sure about Son’s physical condition, which will be in his mid-30s after 2026. The bottom line was a one-year extension.
Son’s future has been a hot potato. His contract with Tottenham expires next summer. Initially, Tottenham reportedly proposed Son to renew his contract for a long time. There were constant talks about renewing his contract around Christmas last year. As much as Son loves Tottenham, he seems to renew his contract without difficulty. However, the mood has changed.
The Athletic said, “Son Heung-min is still an integral part of the team. Tottenham will issue an option to extend his contract by one year to keep him at the club until 2026. Another British media outlet, 90min, also said, “Tottenham will enter the last year of his contract with Son. It will issue an option to extend the contract until 2026.
Son is comparable to Tottenham’s “living legend.” Son left Leverkusen for 30 million euros, the highest transfer fee ever for an Asian player, to join Tottenham in the summer of 2015. Son, who had ups and downs in the 2015-2016 season, his first season, showed great performance from the 2016-2017 season. Son, who established the DESK line with Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Christian Eriksen, played a key role in Tottenham’s attack by banking on his unique fast speed and powerful shots. He scored double-digit goals for eight consecutive seasons from the 2016-2017 season to the last. Only seven players have scored 10 or more goals for eight consecutive seasons since the inauguration of the EPL in 1992. He became the top scorer in Asia with 23 goals in the 2021-2022 season. He was a top scorer with 100 percent purity without scoring a penalty kick. “Legend” Lee Young-pyo even said, “It was a feat comparable to how mankind landed on the moon.”
Son displayed stellar performance last season as well. He claimed 17 goals and 10 assists, making it 10 goals and 10 assists. Son, who became the first Asian player to achieve the EPL 10-10 (11 goals and 10 assists) in the 2019-2020 season, ranked 10-10 for the third time after the 2020-2021 season (17 goals and 10 assists). Son has risen to the ranks of EPL legends in name and reality. He was on par with Didier Drogba, Lampard, Cantona, Rooney, and Mohamed Salah. “Only six players, including Son, recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in the EPL history,” said Squaka, a statistics firm. “Sonny (Son Heung-min) has been on the legendary list.” Rooney had the most scores of five 10-10s, followed by Cantona and Lampard with four. Drogba and Salah have recorded a total of three times.
Son deserves to be called a legend for his consistency. Son set a record of 400 appearances in an away match against West Ham on Apr. 3. He is the first non-European player and the 14th in Tottenham’s history. He is also one of the best scorers of all time. Give Me Sports ranked Son as the best No. 7 in Tottenham’s history and the best winger in history.
Recently, it seemed to be taking a strand toward a one-year extension. The British Football Transfer reported that ‘Tottenham has made a decision on Son Heung-min’s contract.’ Then, ‘Tottenham is currently focusing on guaranteeing the future of its captain Son Heung-min. Son Heung-min is the best source of income in the team, and his contract is valid until 2025. Son Heung-min also admitted that there is no discussion on a new contract yet, but Tottenham will sign a one-year extension to keep him until 2026, and we can see that they will propose it to prevent him from leaving on a free contract.’
He also said he was looking for a new player. “Mike Moore, a 17-year-old prospect, has grown rapidly and is highly praised, but Tottenham is looking for an experienced winger to compete with Son Heung-min. Daniel Levy’s use of the extended contract clause is a key strategy for the stability of the team, and with this approach, Son Heung-min, a fan favorite, is expected to remain a central figure in the team for a while,” he explained.
The British sports mall made a similar report. “Son Heung-min is the last surviving player who has represented Tottenham before,” he said. “He has no sign of resting at Tottenham, and he scored 17 goals last season as well. Tottenham is reportedly considering securing his future as a priority. Tottenham is preparing to extend at least one year to have Son stay with the team until June 2026.”
Tottenham’s attitude is all the more regrettable for Son Heung-min, who has wanted to remain a club legend. Son has shown his strong affection for Tottenham. When asked at the Tottenham fan forum, “Do you intend to retire from Tottenham?” Son said, “You can’t imagine how happy I will be at Tottenham. However, even if the day comes when I leave this club, I want to see you all smile, and I want to see everyone talk about me as a legend.” In another interview, he said, “I still want to achieve something. It’s not up to me whether I will become a legend of this club or not. I will not call myself a legend because I still want to win here. That’s why I am committed. I think our future is bright with coach Enze Postecoglou and this club. We have to keep improving.”
However, there is still a possibility of renewing the contract. Alasdier Gold, a Tottenham reporter for Football London, recently held a question-and-answer session with fans, and one fan asked Gold, “Do you think Tottenham will offer Son a new contract?” Gold said, “We have an option to extend the contract until 2026. This means that we have a little more time to work on.” “I’m sure Tottenham will want to be with Son in a predictable future as they value him both inside and outside the stadium. Son also wants to justify his title of legend in the club, by winning anything.”
Son Heung-min is constantly receiving Saudi Arabia’s attention as the renewal issue continues. The British newspaper Hotspur HQ reported that ‘Tottenham superstar Son Heung-min has attracted Saudi Arabia’s attention.’ Hotspur HQ said, ‘Saudi Arabia is still considering recruiting Son Heung-min next summer. Son is one of five big-name players on the recruitment list for Saudi clubs, and they have said they want to improve their recruitment. Saudi Arabia is looking to recruit Son for free, but Tottenham has the option to extend Son’s contract until 2026. When Son turns 33 next summer, Tottenham will have to make a decision if a great offer comes from one of Saudi al-Hilal, al-Nasr, al-ETHAD, and al-Ahli.’
“However, sales are crazy even then. Even though Son is in his 30s, there is no price to his love and leadership for the club and the fans. Son has shown consistent performance. He scored 17 goals last season as well, and he has been showing good performance this season. Son seems to be a player, not money. This is especially true considering the amount of money he has earned over the past 14 years. However, he could be lured by his unprecedented tax exemption and residency closer to his country.”
Saudi Arabia’s interest in Son is not the first. In June last year, Saudi Arabian team Al-Itihad showed interest in Son. The transfer fee alone reached 65 million U.S. dollars. The annual salary was also huge. It was tempting news for Son, who is nearing the end of his career. However, he refused. “If I wanted to go to Saudi Arabia, I wouldn’t be here now (laughs). I love soccer and money is important, but playing in the Premier League is my dream,” Son said after an A match against El Salvador in June. “In the past, (Ki) Sung-yong’s brother also said, “Korea’s captain does not go to China. Money doesn’t matter to me right now.”
Recently, however, his trip to Saudi Arabia has caught fire once again. Team Talk in the U.K. on Monday said Son is the No. 1 recruitment target for Saudi teams along with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, adding that Son felt angry that Tottenham didn’t sign an extension contract, and Saudi teams noticed this. “He was the most famous player for Tottenham during the past few seasons. Notably, he was the best player in Tottenham after Harry Kane left. However, it has been reported that Tottenham will not offer Son a new extension. In fact, Son Heung-min says he is not satisfied with the current situation. Now Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy will have to find a new star. Son’s anger could lead to the choice of moving to Saudi Arabia.”
Not only Saudi Arabia but also Spain is known to be interested in Son Heung-min. Rumors of a transfer to Atletico Madrid have emerged. Spain’s Pichahes reported that “Atletico Madrid is interested in Son Heung-min.” Pichahes said, “Atletico is one of the busiest teams in the transfer market last summer. Atletico, which brought Julián Álvarez and others, are continuing to work to strengthen the squad. With several names coming to mind, Son Heung-min is the most prominent player.”
He also suggested specific circumstances that there have already been contact with non-public officials. Pichahes said, “Atletico and Son Heung-min’s agent have been contacted. We had informal conversations.” Finally, Pichahes said, “Son Heung-min has turned 32 years old, but he is still performing at the highest level. Above all, his contract term ends in 2025. Son Heung-min has not been able to sign a contract extension with Tottenham until now. Son Heung-min is receiving attention from Saudi Arabia, but he wants to stay in Europe.”
Barcelona also joined the bid to recruit Son. Catalonia Radio said that Barcelona is considering an option to recruit Son as a free agent next summer. “We have nothing on the table yet, but Han Ji-flick will have a positive view on Son.” 메이저놀이터
In addition, Paris Saint-Germain also joined the club. “If Tottenham fails to advance to the Champions League, Tottenham may sell Son in the transfer market next summer,” Team Talk said on Sunday. “Big French club Paris Saint-Germain has been keeping an eye on Son for a long time. Paris Saint-Germain once planned to recruit Son before.”
Despite this atmosphere, Tottenham was the only one in Son’s mind. Florian Flettenberg of the German version of Sky Sports posted on his SNS account that chances are rising that Son will stay at Tottenham for another year. It is expected that Tottenham will exercise the option to extend his contract until 2026. It is almost decided now.” He added that he also wants a 32-year-old world-class winger to stay at Tottenham. Flettenberg is considered a highly trusted journalist in the European transfer market along with Fabrizio Romano. Notably, he is familiar to Korean fans as he directly reported Kim Min-jae’s trip to Bayern Munich.
On the same day, England’s cutoff side also said, “Tottenham Legend Son Heung-min is expected to remain with the club after next summer.”
Other clubs that showed interest in Son Heung-min planned to try to recruit him as a FA after the contract expired. Galatasaray is different. He is so active that he even said he would pay the transfer fee right away to take him. Galatasaray is the best team in Turkiye that doesn’t need an explanation. It has won 24 league titles alone. He also has a good relationship with Tottenham. Davinson Sanchez and Tangqui Ndombele, who shared the same team with Son Heung-min, played. Son Heung-min can win the trophy he really wants, and he is more likely to play against Europe. The league is lower than England, but the heat never drops. It’s also a destination worth considering.
