‘Son Heung-min to command Saudi transfer premium for Tottenham exit’
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min could have played his last game for the club with a potential move to Saudi Arabia looming.
Spurs’ season ended on a high note last month, as they got their hands on silverware for the first time in 17 years with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.
That trophy also represented a career first for South Korean footballing legend Son, who had not got his hands on a major trophy at club level in his 15-year-long career until the victory in Bilbao.
The 32-year-old is coming up to his 10-year anniversary as a Tottenham player soon, after he joined the club from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2015 for £22million (€30m) [BBC Sport], but he may not even reach that target with rumours of a summer exit rife.
Son’s form suffered a clear drop-off in 2024/25 compared to his previous exploits in North London, with his seven league goals netted being his lowest in a single campaign since his debut 2014/15 season.
Son the subject of Saudi Pro League interest ahead of potential Spurs exit
Spurs triggered a one-year extension to his contract in January, but his lack of impact over the last campaign could push them to let him leave in the coming months.
Football Insider recently reported that Tottenham want to keep the South Korean international beyond this summer, but they may well be tempted by new developments from abroad that could see them receive a sizeable bid for his services soon.
According to The Times, numerous Saudi Pro League clubs have reignited their interest in Son, with him having been on their radar for the last two years.
The Pro League is reportedly keen to sign top players from across the world in an effort to sell their television rights to international audiences, and someone like Son, who is aging but still well-known by many football fans, definitely fits the bill for their plans to develop their following in Asia.
The star forward is also said to “command a premium” for Saudi sides due to Asian Champions League rules stipulating that one of the six permitted foreign players must be from another country within the continent.
Son would need to be persuaded to move to a Saudi Arabian club, having rejected their advances in the past.
Spurs will need a big fee to let Son go this summer
Son’s impact has clearly lessened over the last year or so at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and at 32-years-old, it feels unlikely that he is set to improve much further due to his reliance on his pace and power throughout his career.
He is Ange Postecoglou’s captain, though, and still managed to register 23 goal contributions in 46 games in all competitions in the last season, so the club will want a decent figure to be persuaded to sell him this summer.
So the fact that he represents an attractive commodity for Saudi clubs this summer for multiple reasons on top of his abilities on the pitch should help boost his transfer value.
| Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists |
| 46 | 37 | 11 | 12 |
Convincing Son is apparently another hurdle that Tottenham are set to face if they are offered a big fee and are happy to let him leave.
Postecoglou has set his sights on signing Crystal Palace talisman Eberechi Eze in the coming months, as recently revealed by Football Insider, and so Son’s potential exit could help fund a move for the England man, who would then surely become a regular on the left-wing in the 32-year-old’s absence.