Tottenham captain Heung-Min Son has announced he will bring his 10-year stay in north London to an end this summer, with a move to Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC now close.
The 33-year-old joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and has gone on to score 173 goals in 454 matches for the club.
His honours include captaining the team to victory over Manchester United in May’s Europa League final, a triumph that ended a 17-year wait for silverware.
Despite having two years left on his current contract, Son has confirmed that he intends to leave, describing the decision as “the most difficult one I have made in my career” during a press conference in Seoul alongside new manager Thomas Frank.
“I came to North London as a kid – a very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English,” he reflected.
“Leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment.”
Farewell on home soil?
Spurs are currently in South Korea for pre-season, where they will face Newcastle United on Sunday.
Son is expected to start and wear the armband, meaning his final game for Tottenham could come in front of his home supporters.
Frank, who took over from Ange Postecoglou in June, paid tribute to his captain, calling him “a true Spurs legend” and “one of the greatest players to play in the Premier League.”
“If that is the last game for Sonny, what a place to do it here in front of his home fans,” Frank said. “It could be a beautiful ending.”
Tottenham also have the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain on 13 August, but the timing of his expected transfer means Son may not be available for that fixture.
Son’s impact since arriving in England has been immense. Across 333 Premier League appearances, he has scored 127 goals, drawing level with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 16th place on the league’s all-time scoring list, surpassing notable names such as Dwight Yorke, Steven Gerrard and Ian Wright.
Alongside Harry Kane, now at Bayern Munich, Son formed one of the most prolific attacking partnerships in English football history.
Together, they combined for a record 47 Premier League goals, with 24 scored by Son and 23 by Kane.
During the 2021-22 season, Son became the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot, sharing the award with Mohamed Salah thanks to his 23-goal haul.
A year later, he became the first Asian footballer to reach 100 Premier League goals.
He also holds the club’s record for most Premier League assists (71) and ranks sixth on Tottenham’s all-time appearances list, behind only Cyril Knowles, Pat Jennings, Gary Mabbutt, Steve Perryman and Glenn Hoddle.
Why now?
The South Korean forward admitted that lifting a European trophy with Spurs this year gave him a sense of closure.
“I need a new environment to push myself. I need a little bit of change – 10 years is a long time,” Son said.
“I spent a lot of time reflecting on whether I wanted to experience football in a different environment, and I had those conversations with myself over and over again.”
Since joining in 2015, Son has also provided 101 assists in all competitions and played in Tottenham’s 2019 Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.
He was appointed club captain in August 2023 after Hugo Lloris stepped down from the role.
If Sunday’s match against Newcastle proves to be his farewell, it will mark the end of an extraordinary chapter for one of Tottenham’s greatest-ever players.
