Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) has done enough. It is now time for him to be rewarded.
The rumors of Son Heung-min's transfer to the Saudi league are gaining momentum. The Sun reported on the 29th that "Tottenham is seriously considering selling Son Heung-min to a Saudi league club this summer. Son wants to stay at Tottenham and has led the team to victory in the UEFA Europa League. However, if Son is sold for a substantial amount, it could provide funds to acquire new players to compete in the Champions League."
Since joining Tottenham in 2015, Son Heung-min has been proud to represent the club. He broke the trophy drought with victory in the UEFA Europa League. If he had been motivated by money or fame, he would have left Tottenham long ago.
Is it time for Son Heung-min to receive financial rewards? It is not a recent phenomenon for top players in Europe to move to Saudi Arabia for large sums of money in the twilight of their careers. Son's idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, also transferred to Al Nassr and is reportedly earning 270 billion won.
If Son Heung-min goes to Saudi Arabia, he could earn a tremendous amount of money. Many South Korean players have already pursued money by playing in the Middle East. However, there are opinions that Son should not go to Saudi Arabia due to his symbolic role as the captain of the national team.
Lee Cheon-soo made candid remarks about Son Heung-min's transfer rumors to Saudi Arabia on his YouTube channel "Ricchunsoo" on the 27th. Lee Cheon-soo also played for Al Nassr from 2009 to 2010.
Lee Cheon-soo stated, "Saudi Arabia is the hottest league lately. The match between Al Hilal and Gwangju resembles a European team. When I was there, most of the team was composed of Saudi players, with 3-4 foreign players," reflecting on the changes over time.
If Son Heung-min goes to Saudi Arabia, a salary of 30 billion won is guaranteed. Lee Cheon-soo predicted, "I think they will bet 30-35 billion won on Heung-min in Saudi Arabia. It could be for about two years. That would be between 30 and 70 billion. Heung-min has demonstrated performance at the top level in Europe. The country is Saudi Arabia, but it is a European league. It is time for him to be rewarded."
South Korean fans hope the captain of the national team will continue to play in Europe’s top leagues. There is a logic that transferring to Saudi Arabia would be choosing money over honor, leading fans to oppose Son Heung-min's potential transfer.
Lee Cheon-soo noted, "There are fans asking why Son Heung-min would go to Saudi Arabia. We should not forget the competitiveness Heung-min has shown in Europe for the past ten years. He has played even in pain for the national team. If he goes to Saudi Arabia, we may see him more in the AFC," he praised Son Heung-min.
However, there are practically no K League clubs capable of accommodating Son Heung-min. No matter how much Son lowers his transfer fee, due to the economic structure, he cannot come back to Korea.
Lee Cheon-soo cautioned, "Even if Korean clubs offered 10 billion won, (signing Son Heung-min) would not be feasible. Korea cannot bet that much. If Heung-min comes to Korea and his performance declines, won't the fans just criticize him again?"
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