Tottenham have now waved goodbye to the legendary Son Heung-min, who played his last game for the club against Newcastle in front of an adoring crowd of his native supporters in Seoul on Sunday.
After coming to Spurs as a relatively unknown 23-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen, 10 years, 454 appearances, 173 goals and 101 assists later, Son departs for Los Angeles FC as both an heroic Lilywhites figure and their most influential player of the last decade alongside Harry Kane.
Almost immediately after Son donned the Tottenham jersey for a final time against Newcastle, Fabrizio Romano gave his trademark ‘here we go’ to the winger’s MLS switch.
|
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025 |
Average match rating |
|---|---|
|
Son Heung-min |
7.00 |
|
James Maddison |
6.98 |
|
Pedro Porro |
6.95 |
|
Dominic Solanke |
6.84 |
|
Dejan Kulusevski |
6.83 |
|
via WhoScored |
|
Son didn’t even bother travelling back to the UK with Thomas Frank’s squad and instead parted ways in Korea, with the 33-year-old due to travel stateside for his LAFC medical ahead of an MLS record-breaking near-£20 million move (ESPN).
“I didn’t think I was going to cry at first,” Son said in an emotional final interview.
“But after hearing a few words from my teammates, leaving the club I’ve spent so much time with felt really tough. I felt really, really happy playing this match. Thanks to my fans, my teammates and also my opponents, I’ve had an unforgettable day.
“My career is not over yet, and I want to continue to bring (the fans) joy. I know I have more things I want to accomplish as a football player.”
Son rejected lucrative proposals from Saudi Arabia in favour of a move to America, and it is no coincidence that LA has the largest Korean population of any city outside of South Korea itself.
LA will act as a ‘home away from home’ for Son, with the attacker ultimately choosing that over the riches on offer in Saudi – which in itself speaks volumes of the man.
Back at Tottenham, attention turns to who could possibly do their best to replicate both Son’s leadership behind-the-scenes and his quality on the pitch.
Tottenham identify Ademola Lookman as alternative to Rodrygo
In the last fortnight, Spurs have been linked with an audacious swoop for Real Madrid star Rodrygo to fill Son’s shoes on the left, but they do have a ‘plan B’ option.
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham have identified wantaway Atalanta star Ademola Lookman as another target to replace Son.
The Nigerian famously dazzled with one of the most exceptional cup final performances ever witnessed last year, scoring a hat-trick against the previously unbeatable Bayer Leverkusen to both end their undefeated streak and win Atalanta the 2024 Europa League title.
Despite his star player status, things haven’t exactly been smooth between the 27-year-old and Atalanta, with Lookman now submitting a transfer request for this summer as he looks to push through an exit from the Serie A side.
TT reiterate news of the transfer request and write that Tottenham are plotting a potential move for Lookman to take advantage of the situation, coming after another impressive campaign where he bagged 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions.
Atalanta are demanding around £44 million to sell the player, which comes as a far cheaper deal than Rodrygo would be, but Spurs are now in desperate need of a new number 10 after James Maddison’s serious injury against Newcastle.
They’re also in the market for a new defender before deadline day on September 1, so it remains to be seen whether Tottenham can allocate funds towards a deal for Lookman or wait until January.
