Tottenham fans will be dreading the day Son Heung-min officially leaves the Lilywhites.
Such is Son’s iconic status among Spurs supporters that the fanbase has discussed the possibility of erecting a statue in the South Korean’s honour when he departs.
It is for good reason that he is held in such high esteem, as the 33-year-old captained the Lilywhites to their first major European trophy in 41 years last season.
However, there has been a notable drop-off in the forwards’ performances of late, as evidenced by the South Korean’s struggles against Reading in pre-season.
With less than a year remaining on his contract, Los Angeles FC are pushing to sign the Tottenham legend, who could be set to leave North London shortly.
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Son could leave as early as 4 August
Thomas Frank and Son are set for crunch talks to discuss the winger’s future amid LAFC’s expected offer for the South Korean captain.
The decision is expected to mostly fall to the player, with Tottenham looking to accommodate their second-highest Premier League goalscorer’s desires where possible.
However, Spurs will have to honour their contractual obligations to play Son during their pre-season tour in Asia, or risk losing up to 75 per cent of their revenue.
Tottenham will first take on Arsenal in Hong Kong on Thursday (31 July) before travelling to South Korea to face Newcastle (3 August).
Given that Son is virtually guaranteed to feature, even if LAFC were to finalise all the negotiations before that fixture, the earliest Spurs, and Daniel Levy in particular, would allow their captain to leave would be the day after the game against the Magpies (4 August).
Mohammed Kudus to step up as Spurs’ match-winner
Over the last decade, Spurs have heavily relied on both Harry Kane and Son to take a game by the scruff of the neck and provide a moment of magic to secure a victory or rescue a draw in clutch moments.
Frank will hope that someone can step up in their absence and provide the team with that element of stardust in tight situations, and may look to Mohammed Kudus as the leading candidate for that role.
The Ghanaian already showed the skill and threat he possesses against Reading, driving past players and popping up in dangerous areas while being directly involved in both goals.
However, the 24-year-old will face much sterner opposition than the League One outfit, and the real mark of a top player is producing those moments consistently.
Kudus possesses the raw ability to do so, and under Frank’s guidance, could eventually step in to fill Son’s boots should he leave.