One of Thomas Frank's first tasks after he walks through the doors at Tottenham will be to discuss Son Heung-min's future at the club as football.london understands the skipper is more open to leaving Spurs than he ever has been before.
Frank is set to make the switch from Brentford in the coming days once the two clubs come to a final agreement over his move as well as the coaching staff the 51-year-old will take with him across London. What the Dane will find when he arrives in N17 is a team that has key decisions to make over some of its star players.
When Ange Postecoglou joined Tottenham in 2023 so he swiftly lost the services of record goalscorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich and now the Australian's successor could face a similar situation with uncertainty over the futures of both captain Son and vice-captain Cristian Romero.
While Romero, who has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, still has two years left on his contract, Son has just 12 months remaining on his deal after Spurs took up the option mid-season to increase it by its final 12 months.
The South Korean, who turns 33 next month, faced a frustrating season with a foot injury and some struggles in reproducing his best form, with just seven goals in the Premier League, but he still managed to record 23 goal involvements in his 46 matches across all competitions.
Most importantly of all Son wrote his name into the club's history books in lifting the Europa League trophy, ending a 17-year silverware drought at the club, and achieving something many of his predecessors had failed to do.
Having now achieved what he always set out to do after 10 years at Tottenham, football.london understands that Son is more open to leaving the club this summer than he has been before if a deal arises that suits all parties. The South Korean had admitted in interviews ahead of the final in Bilbao that the reason he had stayed at Spurs in the past was because he was driven to finally bring a trophy to the club.
Teams in the Saudi Pro League have been tipped to launch a big move for Son this summer, knowing that his huge popularity across Asia brings with it major exposure for the competition. The chances of such a move happening are understood to be less unrealistic than they were last summer when the Spurs captain ruled it out.
A move to MLS is also believed to be of some interest, with Son's former Tottenham skipper Hugo Lloris currently at LAFC who will compete in this summer's Club World Cup, however the money involved in signing the South Korean superstar is not expected to be available in the US league.
For Tottenham they must balance their captain's marketability - the club will travel to Hong Kong and South Korea on another lucrative Asian tour next month - with the fact that he is now in the final year of his contract and will be 33 by the time the coming season begins. If there is not to be a new short-term deal then they will lose him for nothing in 2026, a fear that drove the sale of Kane two years ago.
Frank will also want to speak to Son to outlay his plans for a player who has become a legend at the north London club and has 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 games. The Dane is an excellent communicator and is known for his close connection to his players so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he is able to get the Spurs skipper back to to his top level, with Mohamed Salah the prime example used by Postecoglou last season.
There is also a return to the Champions League for Tottenham next season, a competition that Son faced heartbreak in in 2019 when Spurs got all the way to the final only to lose to Liverpool. That return could tempt the skipper into another campaign on the biggest stage.
Much will depend on Tottenham's stance though and ultimately the player himself. Son is currently on international duty, having helped South Korea qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a game to spare.
When asked after Tuesday's 4-0 win against Kuwait if he will stay at Spurs for another season, Son would only say: "For now, I think it’s right to wait rather than say anything here since my contract remains.
"Many people, including reporters and fans, are very curious. Rather than thinking about the future, I think it’s better to wait and see what happens in my current position. No matter where I am, I'm still a player who has always done my best and worked hard, so I think I should do well."
The attacker forged a close connection with Postecoglou and said after his sacking on Friday: "Gaffer. You've changed the trajectory of this club. You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did.
"You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it’s had in decades. We will have those memories for life.
"You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career. It’s been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close, I am a better player and a better person because of you. Ange Postecoglou, you are a Tottenham Hotspur legend forever. Thank you, mate."
Son has already assured his own place as a Tottenham legend and the coming weeks will decide whether that trophy is the bookend to his time at the north London club or the gateway to further adventures under their new head coach.