Captain Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham)'s return has marked the official start of Tottenham Hotspur's summer activities. The status of Son Heung-min, who reappeared at the training ground, is still a question mark.
Tottenham Hotspur announced on the 12th (Korean time) through their official social media that they welcomed Son Heung-min back with the message 'Welcome back, Sonny!' and shared photos of his return to training. Son Heung-min had taken a month off domestically after completing his national team call-up during the June A-match period and flew to London to join training on the 10th.
However, his return came somewhat later than expected. Alasdair Gold, a reporter for 'Football London,' noted, 'Most players have already returned to training, except for one key player. That single player is Son Heung-min. He joined the team late due to prior commitments with his family.'
Son Heung-min recorded the most attacking points within the team last season with 17 goals and 10 assists, proving his status as the ace once again. However, transfer rumors are another trend surrounding him. Currently, Son Heung-min is under contract until June 2026, but this is merely a result of a one-year option activated at the start of the season, with no long-term contract in place.
Accordingly, speculation about Son Heung-min's future has been ongoing. He is attracting interest from various leagues, including Saudi Arabia, Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, and Germany, with Saudi Arabia's pursuit being particularly persistent. 'Tottenham Hotspur News' reported that 'Son Heung-min is likely to reject an offer from LA FC, but the Saudi Pro League remains highly interested.'
Chairman Daniel Levy has also stated that he is willing to respect Son Heung-min's wishes. Media reported, 'Chairman Levy has the idea of helping Son Heung-min to decide his future himself.' This is interpreted as a message that Tottenham aims to grant maximum autonomy to their captain, who is almost a symbol of the team. However, there are also reports that the club's upper management, including Chairman Levy, may sell him regardless of Son Heung-min's opinions.
Newly appointed head coach Thomas Frank is also prioritizing a meeting with Son Heung-min. Football London reported, 'Coach Frank will discuss Son Heung-min's role within the team and future plans in their first meeting,' and analyzed that Son Heung-min's choices will have a decisive impact on the team's future strategy.
Tottenham has already started their preseason training since the 6th. The squad, which includes Guglielmo Vicario, Dominic Solanke, and Yang Min-hyeok, will officially kick off their preseason schedule with a friendly match against Reading from the English Championship on the 19th. They will then face Newcastle United at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on August 3 and will begin the official schedule for the 2025-2026 season with the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on August 14.
Son Heung-min's return is good news, but the question of whether he will remain at the club is still not settled.
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