Tottenham Hotspur skipper Son Heung Min has been linked with a move away from N17 in the ongoing summer transfer window as the Lilywhites enter into a new era at Hotspur Way with Thomas Frank taking charge of the proceedings at Spurs.
The thing is that while Son is still an icon at Tottenham, we have seen that there has been a notable decrease in the physical capacity he possesses and the pace at which he used to operate. We no longer have any bursts that are capable of changing the game on a consistent basis, and he is bound to struggle for game time at N17 in the upcoming season.
The South Korean will be competing against younger wide forwards who have that burst of pace and dynamism that he no longer possesses, and this is where the dilemma of whether it’s the right time to sell him or not comes into the picture.
He surely is a capable presence in the dressing room, but should that just be the case to make him stay?
Let’s start with the understanding of the fact that the North Londoners are entering a new era under Thomas Frank. And if we consider club transitions, more often than not there are tough decisions to be made, especially when it comes to ageing stars already on the roster, and one such decision looms over Daniel Levy in the future of Son Heung-min, someone who dons the armband at Tottenham and is the long-standing talisman who has been delivering moments of magic for years in North London.
And while many Tottenham supporters still celebrate him, there is starting to be a growing tactical and athletic disconnect between what Son once was and what he can still offer in a modern system (especially considering what Thomas Frank is expected to implement at Tottenham).
At thirty-two (32), with just a year left on his contract and interest from Saudi Pro League clubs brewing, the question that now rises up is whether £50 million is a realistic fee for Son and, more importantly, should Levy consider cashing in?
Can Tottenham really get £50m for Son?
Given that he is thirty-two and entering the final stages of his peak-years, with a contract that is set to expire within twelve months is generally a point where the clubs are thinking about shipping their veteran talents off for whatever fee that comes in, but Daniel Levy is different, he demands for what he is shipping out.
And while Son finished the recently concluded season with 16 goal contributions (7 goals and 9 assists) in the English top tier, we saw a shift in his playing style along the year where the South Korean started relying on positioning rather than pace to make an impact.
But that being said, despite his ageing abilities, the thing is Son is still a global icon, especially in Asia, and there are just a few players that carry what Son does in terms of brand weight. And this branding that he brings to the table boosts his value in markets like Saudi Arabia or MLS.
I think that for Daniel Levy to extract £50m for sanctioning his sale, the best possibility lies in the Saudi Pro League, given how the Saudi clubs have shown a willingness to overpay for high-profile names (e.g., Mahrez, Neymar, and Benzema) in the past years and given the branding of Son, £45–50m is not out of reach if approached by the Middle Eastern clubs.
I do think that the aforementioned figure could be realistic but only from a non-European buyer (likely Saudi Arabia). I don’t think that any European club that is operating with a traditional FFP structure would likely end up paying that fee for a declining winger over thirty.
Why should Tottenham sell Son?
With Thomas Frank taking charge of the proceedings at Tottenham,the North Londoners are expected to play in a more structured and compact system where the midfield and front line will be expected to be aggressive in counter-pressing whilst having that constant energy in wide channels and having that positional rotations between wide forwards and eights.
Now given Son while he has that intelligence and finishing he is not going to give you that ball-carrying ability of someone like Bryan Mbeumo (who Frank is looking to bring to the roster at Hotspur Way) and neither will he give that off-the-ball intensity which is much needed to press for 90 minutes in a mid-to-high block.
You could argue that he still offers finishing instinct and that sense of experience in the dressing room, but I do think that the Lilywhites need to start look ahead given that they need to have a forward line which can press and carry and in that contect keeping Son as a starter does limit the progression curve of this rebuild under the Dane head coach.
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Author opinion
There is no denying that Son is a legend at Tottenham and his name will forever be sung among the streets at N17 but it is time to detach from emotions and take tough decisions, for the sake of the rebuild, for the sake of the future of the club and if the price is right, I do think that it may be time to take Tottenham ahead without Son.