Could Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) reunite with coach José Mourinho at Fenerbahçe, a 'Turkish elite' club?

Turkish 'TURKGUN' stated on the 16th (Korean time), "Fenerbahçe's bombshell announcement! As the new season approaches, Fenerbahçe is planning a massive transformation of its squad in the transfer market," addressing the rumors of Son Heung-min's transfer.

The media noted, "Fenerbahçe is continuing negotiations to sign Son Heung-min. They are adjusting conditions to bring in Son Heung-min, who is currently playing at Tottenham. At 32 years old, he has one year left on his contract with Tottenham and is demanding an annual salary of about 15 million euros (approximately 23.6 billion won)."

Fenerbahçe seems to be thinking about reducing this further. TURKGUN explained, "Fenerbahçe is trying to finalize the transfer by lowering Son Heung-min's salary, who is also a disciple of Mourinho. Both Tottenham and Son Heung-min are reportedly open to the transfer," adding that "Mourinho is said to have personally called Son Heung-min to provide information about Fenerbahçe."

This is not the end. Fenerbahçe is also looking to sign veteran defender Kyle Walker (Manchester City), another former Tottenham player. The media added, "Fenerbahçe is in contact with Walker as well. Mourinho is very interested. He hopes that Walker will join the team soon. If the transfer goes through, Mourinho is likely to utilize Walker as a right center-back in a back three."

The possibility of Son Heung-min leaving Tottenham this summer is increasing. His contract expires at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Therefore, it is known that Tottenham is willing to let him go if he wants to leave, as it is their last opportunity to sell him and earn a transfer fee.

British 'Football London' also noted, "We know that captain Son Heung-min is more likely to leave Tottenham than ever." It added, "After spending 10 years at Tottenham and finally achieving the championship he had always aimed for, he is more open to leaving the club this summer if a deal that suits all parties is reached."

Tottenham won the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final against Manchester United last month. This marked their first trophy in 17 years and their first European title in 41 years. Son Heung-min shed tears of joy as he lifted a trophy for the first time in his club career.

Now, having achieved his dream, Son Heung-min may leave Tottenham as a legend. In fact, he started on the bench in the UEL final, and due to a combination of injuries this season and the aging curve, his playing time has significantly decreased. Football London highlighted that he admitted in an interview held before the Europa League final that his reason for staying at Tottenham was the desire to finally bring a trophy to the club.

The Saudi Arabian Professional League, boasting 'oil money', has extended a love call to Son Heung-min. It is reported that Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Hilal, backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), are all interested in signing Son Heung-min. American 'ESPN' reported, "The Saudi League's summer transfer market opens on July 20. The 32-year-old South Korean national team forward Son Heung-min is expected to be one of many targets."

Among them, Al Nassr seems to be particularly eager for Son Heung-min's signature. British 'The Sun' claimed, "Son Heung-min could transfer to multiple clubs in the Saudi Professional League. According to sources, Tottenham is considering selling him if a massive offer comes in," and added, "Al Nassr is viewing Son Heung-min as a successor to Cristiano Ronaldo and is already in the actual process of recruitment."

Son Heung-min was also offered an enormous amount by Al Ittihad during the summer of 2023. Nevertheless, at that time, Son Heung-min mentioned the words of Ki Sung-yueng (FC Seoul), stating, "The captain of the South Korean national team will not go to China," and added, "Right now, money is not important. It is important for me to play in a league that I enjoy."

However, Son Heung-min recently provided a different response. After the match against Kuwait, he stated, "Now is the right time to wait. I’m curious as well. It’s difficult to predict what will happen. I think it’s best to watch what unfolds." He has kept all possibilities for the future open.

Clearly, Son Heung-min's attitude toward transfer rumors has changed significantly in the last two years. Amid this, the possibility of a transfer to Turkey is rapidly emerging, with Fenerbahçe actively pursuing the signing of Son Heung-min.

Coach Mourinho and Son Heung-min established a mentoring relationship at Tottenham from November 2019 to April 2021. During that time, Son Heung-min showcased his scoring ability by recording 29 goals and 25 assists in 70 matches under Mourinho's counter-attacking strategy. The two have also expressed deep affection for each other. It is natural for Mourinho, who wishes to win against rival Galatasaray, to dream of reuniting with Son Heung-min.

Local Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu claimed, "Son Heung-min has opened his heart to a transfer to Fenerbahçe following a positive meeting with coach Mourinho," adding that the salary offered to Son Heung-min is an incredible amount of 12 million euros (approximately 18.9 billion won).

British 'Yard Barker' also reported, "Tottenham star Son Heung-min is ready to leave the team. He has received an offer that is hard to refuse and is very close to an agreement," adding that "after considering the financial and sporting aspects of the Fenerbahçe proposal, it is known that he finds it difficult to refuse. He is ready to take on new challenges and it seems increasingly likely that he will soon take off the Tottenham jersey."

The choice is up to Son Heung-min. For now, Tottenham is reportedly willing to let him go if he wants a new challenge. According to Turkish 'NTV Spor', Tottenham is asking for 30 million euros (approximately 47.2 billion won) as Son Heung-min's transfer fee.

British 'Sky Sports' reported, "Captain Son Heung-min recently acknowledged that his future at Tottenham is uncertain this summer. He has one year left on his contract, and it is understood that Tottenham will grant him the final decision if they receive an appropriate offer."

However, financial conditions may pose significant obstacles. Even in Turkey, the estimated salary range for Son Heung-min varies. If it is true that Fenerbahçe is trying to further lower the asking price of 15 million euros, as reported by TURKGUN, they might encounter difficulties in negotiations.

The transfer fee demanded by Tottenham is similar. While 30 million euros is not a large amount for most European big clubs, it is a burdensome figure for Fenerbahçe. The highest transfer fee recorded by Fenerbahçe was 19.5 million euros (approximately 30.7 billion won) for Youssef En-Nesyri, who was signed this season. It does not seem easy for Fenerbahçe to comfortably invest 30 million euros for Son Heung-min, who was born in 1992 and has one year left on his contract.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), ZPOR, Sportskeeda, GDH Sports, Tottenham, 365 Scores social media.

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