Tottenham must complete sensational Rodrygo deal after Son Heung-min bombshell
Thomas Frank will now be scrambling to find a replacement for Tottenham legend Son Heung-min before the Premier League kicks off.
With Spurs currently over in South Korea for their pre-season tour, the 33-year-old announced his desire to leave the club this summer, with strong links to MLS side LAFC.
Having joined from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, this transfer window will bring an end to his decade-long stay in North London, with many believing that his status now surpasses that of Harry Kane.
454 appearances, 173 goals, and 101 assists, the South Korean international is set to lead the team out against Newcastle United on Sunday, 3 August, in what will be a very emotional moment for everyone.
Although teammates and fans alike will all be reminiscing when he steps onto the pitch, those behind the scenes will be working frantically to bring in a world-class replacement ahead of the new season.
Thomas Frank scrambling to secure Son Heung-min replacement
Fans have been excited by the Lilywhites’ attempted business so far, already signing Mohammed Kudus from West Ham for £55million [BBC Sport], before going for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.
Mick Brown told Football Insider that Tottenham remain interested in Man City’s Jack Grealish, with a number of Premier League teams also keeping tabs on the £100million winger’s situation.
While the 29-year-old will be eager to prove himself away from the Etihad, having struggled for game time under Pep Guardiola in recent seasons, supporters are not convinced by his signing.
Instead, Real Madrid’s tricky winger, Rodrygo, has emerged as a potential coup for Premier League clubs this summer after getting just 92 minutes of football during the Club World Cup.
Keith Wyness told Football Insider last month that Arsenal could agree a deal for Rodrygo should Real Madrid slash their asking price, but any links to the Emirates have run cold.
After Son’s announcement, a hijack could be on the cards. It would be a sensational deal were Tottenham to get it done.
Tottenham to hijack deal for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo
More recently, Keith Wyness informed Football Insider that Tottenham can beat Arsenal and Liverpool to the statement signing, having already started talks with Los Blancos.
First arriving for £38.5million in 2019, the Brazilian has gone on to achieve incredible amounts, lifting 12 trophies, including three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues, but it could all come to an end.
Despite notching 14 goals and 10 assists last season, the arrivals of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham have seen his game time decrease rapidly, and Madrid appear keen to get him off the books.
Now is the perfect time for Tottenham to strike a deal with the Spanish giants, and while they may take advantage of Son’s emotional departure by raising the price, Frank needs the player this summer.
Manor Solomon is likely to follow Mikey Moore out the exit doors, and while Mathys Tel has impressed in pre-season, the Frenchman could be lacking the much-needed challenge for next season.
With multiple teams interested in Rodrygo, Spurs will need to start ramping up their efforts to secure the 24-year-old’s signature, but that does not appear to be a problem for the Europa League title holders this summer.