Tottenham aims to keep Son Heung-min for UEFA Champions League experience

There is considerable interest in Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) regarding his future. With Tottenham aching for Son's experience on the UEFA Champions League (UCL) stage, the news is that they will surely retain him.

The Spurs web reported on the 3rd (Korean time) that "Tottenham is already busy with acquisitions and releases in the summer transfer market. Although there are talks that captain Son Heung-min may leave the team this summer, he can still play for one more season at Tottenham."

The background of the Spurs web’s opinion is that Son Heung-min's experience in the Champions League (UCL) is deemed necessary for Tottenham.

Son Heung-min activated a one-year contract extension option in January this year, extending his contract with Tottenham until summer 2026. Thus, this summer transfer market is practically the last opportunity to sell him at a suitable price, leading to connections with teams from Saudi Arabia such as Al Ittihad and Al Hilal, as well as prestigious teams like Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

However, the situation changed as Tottenham lifted the trophy in the Europa League (UEL) this season. Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League this season, but qualified for the next season's UCL as the UEL champion.

On the 23rd, Son Heung-min made a contribution to the team's 1-0 victory in the UEL final held at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, coming on as a substitute in the second half. He lifted his first trophy since his professional debut, thereby shedding the disappointment of 15 years without a title. Since joining Tottenham in 2015, he had not experienced victory, finishing 2nd in the EPL in the 2016-2017 season, 2nd in the UCL in the 2018-2019 season, and 2nd in the English League Cup in the 2020-2021 season.

Tottenham returns to the UCL stage after three seasons. Currently, the players within the team who have UCL experience are few, including Son Heung-min and Ben Davies. Therefore, the Spurs web claims that Tottenham does not want to sell Son Heung-min and wishes to accompany him next season.

British Hotspur HQ also reported on the 26th of last month that "Tottenham will firmly reject transfer offers for Son Heung-min in this summer transfer market. Plans are in place to continue together next season."

Furthermore, it explained, "Tottenham has determined that Son Heung-min's experience is absolutely necessary ahead of the UCL return. This contradicts recent rumors suggesting that they intend to release Son Heung-min and recruit young star players."

Additionally, the media predicted, "Rather, there is a possibility that Tottenham will recruit a new star player to play alongside Son Heung-min. To this end, they are also considering the sale of center-back Cristian Romero."

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