Tottenham have reportedly received an offer for star forward Son Heung-min and are preparing to rival Arsenal for Joao Palhinha. Spurs’ summer plans are set to intensify after they completed a blockbuster £55million move for Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.
MLS club Los Angeles FC are said to have submitted a bid for Spurs captain Son. However, a move is complicated by the financial rewards of the North Londoners' pre-season trip to South Korea. The 33-year-old reportedly has a 'key player clause', meaning Spurs could lose up an eye-watering 75 per cent of their income from the tour if Son is not part of their squad. A 134-cap South Korea international, the winger is a huge draw for fans in his homeland, where Spurs often spend their pre-season campaigns.
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According to the Telegraph, that clause is likely to delay any resolution of Son's future until Spurs return from Asia in the first week of August. A difficult 2024-25 campaign left doubts over how long he might remain at a club where he is about to enter a 10th year.
Son's minutes in the second half of the campaign were partially limited by a foot injury. However, he was not always considered a starter by Ange Postecoglou and he played only 23 minutes of Spurs' Europa League final victory over Manchester United. Spurs decided to take up their option of a one-year contract extension, but Son will be free to leave next summer.
Meanwhile, the same report claims that Spurs are rivalling Arsenal in a deal to sign former Fulham midfielder Palhinha from Bayern Munich. The Portugal international has been linked with an exit from the Bavarian club just a year after completing a £42m switch.
Palhinha made only 17 Bundesliga appearances last season and has been linked with an immediate return to the Premier League. Arsenal are widely understood to be keen on a potential move even after signing defensive midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard.
Spurs are reportedly actively 'working on' a move for the 30-year-old. Should he join Thomas Frank's side, he would become the first outfield player aged 30 or over to join Spurs since Fernando Llorente in 2017.
His potential transfer would mark a shift from a policy of signing much younger players and could hint at an acceptance that the squad inherited by Frank is in dire need of experience and know-how. Spurs signed five teenagers last season, with Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray impressing in the Premier League and Europa League.
Spurs have already been very busy this summer. Loan deals for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have been made permanent, while Kudus was signed from West Ham to bolster the club's attacking options.