Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) has reached a critical crossroads in his European career.
Local media reported that the possibility of Son wrapping up his long journey at Tottenham and joining the Saudi Arabian stage has become higher than ever before.
Sports Bible reported on the 4th (Korean time) that "Son is likely to be among the few players guaranteed the highest salary in the Saudi League," adding, "He is currently preparing to part ways after spending 10 years at Tottenham."
Currently, Son's contract with Tottenham has about one year left. This extension was realized through an option unilaterally executed by the club last January. The club is interpreted as having extended the contract to preserve Son's transfer value. As the contract expiration approaches, the risk of free agency increases, so analyses suggesting that this is a preemptive measure aimed at a sale are gaining strength.
Saudi Arabian clubs have shown sustained interest in Son for several years. Two years ago, Al Ittihad was ready to propose a four-year contract worth £25 million (46.6 billion won) to Son. Had this contract been realized, the total would have exceeded 100 billion won.
At that time, Son dismissed transfer rumors by stating, "There are still things left for me to do in the Premier League." He also noted, "Money is not important to me now. I'm proud to be playing on the stage I love most," expressing his intent to remain in England.
However, as time has passed, the situation has changed significantly. Son is evaluated as having reached the 'perfect timing' to leave and put a meaningful period on his European career. Now that he has fulfilled his long-held desire of winning the league and is approaching the end of his contract, the extraordinary offers from Saudi clubs are deemed hard to ignore compared to previous offers.
Above all, Saudi clubs have shown intentions to assign Son a 'league banner' role, going beyond mere interest. The Saudi Pro League has transformed into a star league with the transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad), Sadio Mané (Al Nassr), and Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli), and they are executing strategies to strengthen their presence in the Asian market through Son.
The salary figures are also beyond imagination. According to Capology, which analyzes European football player salaries, Ronaldo earns €200 million ($313.6 million) annually, placing him at the top of the Saudi league, while Benzema receives €100 million ($156.8 million). Following them, Mané is reportedly earning €40 million ($62.7 million) per year.
If Son heads to Saudi Arabia, there is a high possibility that he will receive a salary comparable to these players. The media reported that Son has been offered a salary of about €30 million ($47 million), and including the contract period and bonuses, the aggregates are estimated to exceed 100 billion won.
Under these realistic, non-negligible conditions surrounding Son, interest in his future movements has intensified. The situation regarding his potential re-signing with Tottenham is already unclear, and it has been followed by observations that Tottenham is leaning towards a sale to recover transfer fees. Recently, Son reportedly did not attend the Tottenham 2024-2025 season jersey launch event, which has been considered unusual locally.
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