“33-year-old long-term contract not wise” sale talk grows
What does the future hold for Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham Hotspur)?
“Tottenham will trigger the option on their best player Son Heung-min’s contract. But a brutal sale in 2025 is also possible,” reported Team Talk.
“Tottenham are set to activate a one-year extension option that could tie up the future of the club’s best player until 2026. However, a big sale could be on the agenda in 2025.” “Tottenham have held talks with Son Heung-min over signing a long-term contract. But we haven’t made a breakthrough yet, and now we’re activating Plan B,” he added.
Tottenham captain and ace Son Heung-min’s contract expires in June 2025. Unsurprisingly, there has been talk of a renewal since last season. Even in the middle of the season, there was talk of Spurs trying to secure Son’s future.
Initially, a long-term deal seemed likely. There were reports that both Spurs and Son were optimistic about a new deal and had already started talks. The general consensus was that the negotiations would take place after the end of the season. No one doubted that, as Son scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists in the league last season.
However, the mood has changed since the end of the season. According to The Athletic, Tottenham are planning to exercise the option to extend Son’s contract by one year instead of re-signing him. The idea is to keep him for another year and then slowly start negotiations.
The unexpected news has been met with a lot of reaction. While some praised Tottenham for their cool-headedness, many fans were left wondering when they would part ways with the player. Some were surprised to learn that the club had a one-year option to extend his contract, given that he signed a four-year deal when the team was in turmoil in 2021.
The general consensus now is that Tottenham will not hand Son a new contract, but will simply extend his deal by one year. Football Insider also reported that “Son Heung-min has agreed a new deal with Tottenham. According to sources, Tottenham are likely to exercise their option to extend his contract.”
The publication added: “Son, 31, is out of contract with Tottenham next summer. However, the extension will tie him down until 2026. This will allow Tottenham to plan for the long term.”
There are even growing speculations that Tottenham are planning to cash in on Son. Hutton, who played defender for 야설 Tottenham, is vocal about how it “doesn’t make sense” to let Son’s contract run out, adding that Spurs can maximize his value when they sell him in the future by exercising the option to extend.
Hutton added: “I think Tottenham put that clause (a one-year extension option) in the contract to protect them. They will go and exercise that option. It’s happening. It’s happening, 100%,” he said, adding, “He’s a really important part of Tottenham, and if they exercise (the option), they get two seasons. If someone wants to buy him, Tottenham can get a transfer fee that they feel is in line with his value.”
Tottenham selling Son after a year is an unlikely scenario. If they’re already preparing to say goodbye to Son, it means they’re not signing him long-term. There will likely be no “mega-signing” or legendary treatment that has been talked about in the British media.
It looks like Daniel Levy, the famously money-conscious chairman, is once again making a ‘Levy-like’ choice. Son Heung-min has scored 162 goals in 408 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham since joining the club in 2015. He has been one of Spurs’ most consistent performers. However, Spurs are likely to take a calculated approach to re-signing Son.
Team Talk also weighed in on Son’s possible sale in 2025. “Son will be 33 years old at this time next year. While he is still performing at an elite level, a long-term contract may not be the wisest option for a player of his age.”
He also mentioned Son Heung-min’s rumored move to Saudi Arabia. Al Ittihad, backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund (PIF), has reportedly put Son Heung-min on its shopping list. Al Ittihad’s No. 1 target is Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), but they are said to be planning to turn to Son Heung-min if Salah is not available. Al-Ittihad also made an unsuccessful approach for Son Heung-min last summer.
Levy has recently stated that he has no intention of selling Son, but a year from now, you never know. Given that Son Heung-min himself is a year closer to retirement, he may be more open to playing out his final years in the Middle East and earning a salary.”
Holding on to Son is a big win for Tottenham. Team Talk also said: “This signing will greatly boost Spurs’ top-four hopes and ambitions to lift major trophies. The key will be Tottenham’s best player and captain, Son Heung-min. The superstar turns 32 next week, but shows no signs of slowing down.” “Of course, there’s also the possibility of a long-term deal for Son Heung-min. If he maintains his very high standards, that’s what every Spurs fan wants to see.”