As Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to leave the Saudi league, reports have emerged that Son Heung-min of English Premier League (EPL) club Tottenham Hotspur is emerging as a replacement player. Former national football team player Lee Cheon-soo also noted that Son should not be criticized if he chooses to move to Saudi Arabia.
The British daily newspaper The Sun reported on the 29th (local time) that "Son Heung-min is being targeted by Saudi clubs," adding, "According to Tottenham insiders, the club will consider Son's transfer if a substantial offer arrives this summer."
The outlet stated, "Son Heung-min is beloved in Korea as a 'national icon.' Saudi club executives believe he can promote the Saudi league to East Asian fans," noting that they initially aimed to acquire Mohamed Salah from Liverpool, but interest has shifted to Son as a 'replacement target' since Salah decided to remain in the EPL.
Son Heung-min recorded 11 goals and 12 assists in official matches for the 2024-2025 season, participating in 46 games (30 in the EPL with 7 goals, 10 in the Europa League with 3 goals, 4 in the League Cup with 1 goal, and 2 in the FA Cup with 0 goals). This marks the first time since his inaugural season with Tottenham in 2015-2016 (4 goals) that Son has remained in single-digit scoring in the EPL.
The Sun commented, "Son Heung-min has been a key member of Tottenham, consistently contributing goals and assists, but this season, like other players, he has been somewhat underperforming," and added, "Despite securing revenue from a lucrative UEFA Champions League spot, the substantial transfer fee from Son's move would aid in securing funds for acquiring new players."
Regarding Son Heung-min's transfer rumors, Lee Cheon-soo uploaded a video titled 'Reasons Son Must Leave Tottenham, Now That They’ve Qualified for the Champions League' to his YouTube channel "Lee Chun-soo" on the 27th. That day, Lee Cheon-soo, former football player Ji Byeong-joo, and Lee Cheon-soo's manager Kim Cheol-ho discussed Son's next steps.
In response to the rumors of Son's transfer to Saudi Arabia, Lee Cheon-soo remarked, "The Saudi league is currently the hottest league. When I was there, it wasn't like this," adding, "Regardless, the time for Heung-min to showcase top-level performances in Europe has somewhat passed. If Saudi Arabia was like it was when I played, I would advise against going, but now all the opposing teams are foreign. Only the country is Saudi; it's like a European league."
He also predicted Son's salary if he moved to the Saudi league. Lee Cheon-soo said, "I don't see any reason for him not to go. I played in Saudi Arabia, and from what I can tell, if we calculate, they would likely bet around 35 billion won on Heung-min. If it’s a 2-year contract, he would receive about 60 to 70 billion won. It's also foreign currency earning for Korea."