Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min has asked to leave the club this summer.
Son informed the club and new head coach Thomas Frank earlier this summer that he wanted to leave, having led the side to their first trophy in 17 years at the end of last season.
Spurs are currently on their pre-season tour in East Asia and face Newcastle United in a friendly at the 66,000 capacity Seoul World Cup Stadium in the capital of South Korea on Sunday. It could be the South Korea international’s final game. The Athletic reported earlier this month that MLS side Los Angeles FC were interested in signing Son.
Spurs have also received interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League, who are prepared to offer more money for the forward, but he is keen on a move to LAFC and discussions are ongoing. Spurs want to manage the 33-year-old’s exit as smoothly as possible in recognition of what he has achieved throughout his 10 years of service.
Son joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2015 and he has scored 173 goals in over 450 appearances. He was appointed as captain in the summer of 2023 by former head coach Ange Postecoglou and helped Spurs to win their first piece of silverware since 2008 when they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final in May.
In his first press conference last month, Frank, who succeeded Postecoglou at the start of June, was asked if Son had earned the right to determine his own future.
“It’s always tricky, situations like that,” Frank said. “If that happens. Right now I have a player that is fully committed and training well, and will play tomorrow. If a player has been at a club a long time, then there will always be a decision for the club to take of course.
“The head coach and the guys who are in charge and this case it will be with Daniel (Levy) and Johan (Lange). Because there is something in it if someone wants to leave at a certain stage, then there can be something there. But the club will always decide in the end.”
Son and Frank are talking to the media on Saturday morning in Seoul.
What does Son’s exit mean for Spurs?
This has already been a summer of significant change for Spurs with the departure of Postecoglou, but this will hit the fanbase the hardest. Son has evolved into one of the best forwards in the world during his time with Spurs and formed a devastating partnership with Harry Kane. They were the figureheads of the Mauricio Pochettino era when Spurs challenged for the Premier League title and lost the 2019 Champions League final.
Son was the joint top-scorer in the Premier League with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in the 2021-22 season and scored an incredible solo goal against Burnley which won the 2020 FIFA Puskas Award.
Son gave Tottenham’s supporters countless memories but nothing will top the Europa League final in May.
Other fan favourites, including Kane, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, left Spurs to fulfil their ambitions of winning a trophy but Son stayed and etched himself into their history books. A foot injury forced him to be a second-half substitute against Manchester United in Bilbao but he played an important role in their progress throughout the competition.
After the final game of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion, Son went on a solo lap of honour around the stadium after the rest of the squad and now it feels like he was saying goodbye.
He will receive an incredible reception against Newcastle on Sunday when he plays in front of his home fans who greeted him in their hundreds at Incheon Airport on Friday afternoon.
This is a bittersweet moment for Spurs and Son – but it might be a blessing in disguise for Frank. Son’s performances were underwhelming last season and his output has declined. He only scored seven league goals during the 2024-25 campaign which is the first time he has failed to hit double figures since his debut season in 2015-16. Frank will avoid having a difficult decision to make about whether to strip Son of the captaincy and he can focus on developing Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert.
Most importantly, Son will leave on a high and as a hero after winning the Europa League.
(Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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