Son Heung-min faces transfer hurdle to Fenerbahçe due to €30 million fee

'Money' makes it unlikely for Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) and José Mourinho, the 62-year-old manager of Fenerbahçe, to reunite.

On the 16th (Korea time), prominent Turkish journalist Yağız Şahinkaya reported through his social media account that "Son Heung-min wants to work with Mourinho again, but due to the transfer fee of about €30 million (approximately 47.3 billion won), the possibility of (contract completion) is very low."

He indicated about three hours earlier on the same day that "Son Heung-min is open to a transfer to Fenerbahçe. If an agreement on the amount is reached, negotiations will progress further," but he soon forecasted that actual formalization would be difficult due to differences over the transfer fee.

Son Heung-min, who wore the Tottenham uniform in 2015, has achieved the Premier League top scorer and UEFA Europa League (UEL) victory over the past decade with Tottenham. Interest is growing over whether he will take on a new challenge, as Fenerbahçe has emerged as a potential destination.

Fenerbahçe is a prestigious club boasting 19 Turkish Süper Lig titles. Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) also chose Fenerbahçe as his first team in Europe.

Earlier, on the 13th, Turkish media CNN also reported that "Fenerbahçe has officially initiated negotiations with Tottenham aiming to acquire Son Heung-min. Son Heung-min is willing to work with Mourinho. If both clubs' interests align, the contract will be finalized." However, €30 million appears to be a challenging amount for Fenerbahçe.

This is not the first time the talk of Son Heung-min moving to Fenerbahçe has surfaced. Similar news emerged last December.

This was because José Mourinho, who previously coached at Tottenham, specifically wanted Son Heung-min.

Mourinho managed Tottenham from November 2019 to April 2021 but was dismissed due to poor performance. However, during that period, the scoring and assist partnership between Harry Kane and Son Heung-min was at the highest level. In particular, Son Heung-min recorded 17 goals and 10 assists in the 2020-2021 EPL season, marking his membership in the '10-10' club for the first time in his career.

Recently, after the international match against Kuwait in June, Son Heung-min addressed numerous transfer rumors.

He stated, "Both the fans and I are curious about (my future). Rather than pondering my future, it would be better to see what happens next. No matter where I play or what role I take on, I will always be a player who prepares and strives to do my best. I will continue to give my all in any position in the future."

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