Football London

So here we are. The end of Son Heung-min's time at Tottenham. The influential attacker will bring down the curtain on his time in north London after ending in glory in Bilbao.

It was an emotional day for all concerned with Spurs, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final to finally bring to an end a long trophy drought - too long a time for a club of Tottenham's stature.

But as with all bad, so too must all good things come to an end. While rumours had been circulating about Son's future since that trophy lift in Bilbao, it is still a shock to see the Spurs captain announce that he is looking to leave the club.

There has been so much change at Spurs over the last few years that it does feel like one piece of the bedrock connecting the old Tottenham to the new - from White Hart Lane to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Mauricio Pochettino to Thomas Frank and struggle to glory - is shifting.

"It was the most difficult decision of my career," Son told football.london at the press conference where he made the big announcement. "I have been here for ten years. It’s a beautiful club with beautiful fans. I have such amazing memories."

With such a big decision made, there are naturally questions from fans - the clearest of which is, naturally, why? Son said that while the decision had been tough, after lifting the trophy in Spain it is "the right time" to leave.

"It was so hard to make the decision," he added. "I just felt like I needed a new environment to push myself to get more out of me I think I needed a little bit of change. 10 years is a long time.

"I came to north London as a kid. Twenty-three years old, a very young age. A boy who couldn't speak English. I leave this club as a grown man. Thank you to all the Spurs fans who have given me so much love.

"It felt like it was my home, it was one of the toughest decisions I ever made. "I think it is the right time to leave, I hope that everyone understands that and respects that.

"It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. I have spent ten years at Tottenham. The main reason is I have achieved everything I can at Tottenham. I need a new environment for a fresh challenge. I'm grateful the club have respected my decision and wish Spurs well for the next season."

Son looks set to move to America, with various MLS teams interested in a move. However, talks seem to be advanced with LAFC over a move, with the player understood to be keen on completing the switch.

football.london understands that Son told the club and his new head coach Frank earlier this summer that he wanted to leave on the perfect high note. The Dane is believed to have spoken to a number of senior players at Tottenham when he was first appointed and Son was the only one who indicated a desire to leave.

Tottenham took part in what is likely to be the final open training session with Son Heung-min in a Spurs shirt as they worked in the heat of Seoul.

After football.londonbroke the news in the early hours of Saturday that the South Korean star would be leaving the club after telling new head coach Thomas Frank of his wish to depart north London, the Spurs captain confirmed the report at a press conference in the Korean capital.

With MLS side Los Angeles FC in talks with Tottenham to sign the 33-year-old and Son keen to make the move there, Sunday's pre-season match against Newcastle could feasibly be the final time the former Golden Boot-winner plays for the club.

Ahead of that game, Frank got to work on the training pitches with Son and his team-mates in the heat at the Anyang Sports Complex about an hour from the team hotel and the press conference venue.

Here are five things our Spurs reporter Alasdair Gold spotted while watching that session in South Korea.

Sonny love

Of course there was plenty of noise and love for the man of the moment as 8,000 fans gathered inside the multi-purpose stadium for a glimpse of their national hero and his team-mates.

Son got cheered whenever he touched the ball and the crowd let out a roar when he netted a goal in the training match. Nobody minded or probably even noticed that one of the coaches held up a flag to suggest he was offside.

The crowds were all waiting after the session, some to get things signed, others just to get a photo as the Tottenham captain remained after training. A drone hovered over the whole scene unfolding below.

There was also a hilarious moment as the huge 7ft 1ins Korean mixed martial arts star Choi Hong-man, after taking selfies with various Spurs players and Frank, picked up Son and cradled him like a baby. The 33-year-old Tottenham star giggled and covered his face with his hands.

The fans waited long after the training session to see him and the players eventually head off to the coach.

Who missed out

The main Tottenham player to miss out on the session was striker Dominic Solanke with the forward not involved with Frank and the players.

"Dominic is unfortunately not quite ready. He’s taking slightly a bit longer. Again, not overly concerned, but he's not available for the Newcastle game," said Frank.

"Everyone else looks good, a few tired bodies, naturally after the game against Arsenal and travelling to Seoul, but touch wood everyone is good."

The training match

As was the case in the previous open training session, this one featured a short match with two distinct XIs set up in the Frank style, flitting from the base 4-2-3-1 tactic to other formations.

For this match the team without bibs was made up of Kinsky, Porro, Romero, Danso, Davies, Bentancur, Gray, Johnson, Pape, Son and Tel.

The side with bibs contained Vicario, Abbott, Vuskovic, Van de Ven, Spence; Bergvall, Bissouma, Kudus, Maddison, Odobert and Richarlison.

The match appeared to be goalless like the one in Hong Kong, with only Son putting the ball in the net with that effort mentioned earlier that was flagged offside.

What happened next

Before the match and after the warm-ups, the team had taken part in a possession drill between two teams in a square with the keepers involved, all using their feet.

Following the game Frank led the team in corner practice with a packed box, blowing the whistle after every scenario they worked through. One player was not involved and that was Yves Bissouma who was being taken by a sports science staff member on runs in the other half, perhaps making up for his lack of minutes in the previous match.

After that it appeared to be a period of free time for the players to do what they wanted. Some took part in shooting practice while others did keepy-uppys together. Luka Vuskovic and Antonin Kinsky worked as pair in the centre circle for a while with quick passes.

At the other end of the pitch Djed Spence was practicing taking corners for Wilson Odobert to volley into the net.

Lankshear on fire

One player who appeared to be flying at the end of the session was young striker Will Lankshear. The 20-year-old was taking part in the shooting drills and had the crowd gasping at some of his finishing.

One was an absolute rocket of a strike that cannoned in off the crossbar and he followed it up with a delightfully delicate chip over the onrushing keeper with his very next effort.

Lankshear was not involved in the squad in Hong Kong and will be hoping he managed to catch Frank's eye enough to get a couple of minutes against Newcastle on Sunday at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Tottenham are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani and could make him their next marquee signing after Son Heung-min confirmed he will leave club this summer, it has been reported.

In an emotional press conference before Tottenham's pre-season fixture against Newcastle United in South Korea, Son, 33, revealed that he has made the "difficult" decision to depart north London.

"Before we start, I just want to share the information that I have decided to leave this club this summer," Son said. "Respectfully, this club is helping me to make my decision. I just want to share this before we start."

"It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career," he continued. "I have spent 10 years at Tottenham. The main reason is I have achieved everything I can at Tottenham. I need a new environment for a fresh challenge. I’m grateful the club have respected my decision and wish Spurs well for the next season."

While Son refused to comment on his next destination, MLS side LAFC appear to be leading the race for his signature. There is also Saudi Arabia interest in the former Bayer Leverkusen man.

For Tottenham, the search to replace Son is expected to intensify. Thomas Frank is keen to strengthen his forward line, despite the £55m arrival of Mohammed Kudus, and PSG's Kolo Muani is said to be right at the top of the club's shortlist. The France international spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus.

According to The Times, Spurs remain interested in a move for Kolo Muani, having attempted to sign him before he joined Juventus on loan in January. He scored 10 goals in 22 appearances for the Italian club.

A centre forward who can play anywhere across the forward line, Kolo Muani would add some more strength and power to Tottenham's attacking options ahead of the new Premier League season.

In the meantime, Tottenham are working on a deal to sign Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich. The 30-year-old endured a difficult first season in Germany, following his £43m move from Fulham last summer.

But Palhinha is now expected to return to England and is due for a medical at Tottenham before putting the finishing touches on a loan switch from Bayern. The deal is anticipated to include an option to buy.

Palhinha had been a standout performer for Fulham, winning their player of the season award during his first campaign after signing from Sporting Lisbon in July 2022. His aggressive style suited the Premier League, having topped the ­division for tackles in both campaigns with Fulham.

The moment that sealed Son Heung-min's exit from Tottenham came not in the boardroom but as he sank to his knees on the green turf of the Estadio de San Mamés on the evening of May 21.

The Spurs captain's desire for a fresh challenge had been growing for some time and lifting that trophy in Bilbao felt like the perfect cherry on top of a 10-year-old north London cake. So when Thomas Frank took the helm at Tottenham in June and made a point of phoning all of the senior players in the squad to pick their minds on the club, it soon became apparent that his chat with Son was going to be a different one.

For the South Korean was the only one of that group of experienced stars to pick up the phone and tell the Dane that he wanted to leave the club. Frank was likely expecting it, for there was a feeling inside the club for much of last season that Son had set his mind on a fresh start.

Spurs had taken up the option to extend his contract by another 12 months to ensure they got some recompense this summer for him, but the idea from that point on was that Son had given so much to the club both on and off the pitch that the 33-year-old deserved to lead the direction of what came next.

After a decade of service, Spurs were prepared to be flexible over the price, timing and destination of his exit. There was interest from Saudi Pro League clubs, which would have resulted in more lucrative offers for Tottenham. Son was not as opposed to such a move as he previously had been but the idea that appealed the most to him was joining former captain Hugo Lloris at Los Angeles FC.

LA contains the largest Korean population in the United States, which itself has the most Koreans in one country outside their homeland, and a move to Major League Soccer would bring Son to a league that boasts Lionel Messi at Inter Miami as well as an opportunity to place him in front of the growing American audience.

Talks between LAFC and Spurs progressed around the team's 1-0 win against Arsenal in Hong Kong and continued across the days as the north London club made their way to Seoul. They reached a stage at which Son felt comfortable enough to begin telling other team-mates about his decision.

His close friends already knew what was coming. Son's best friend is Ben Davies - the South Korean is godfather to the Welshman's son Ralph - and the two had discussed the future for months as both were in the same situation. The defender also had his contract option taken up by Spurs to tag an additional year on, but at this moment looks to be remaining in north London.

Son made sure that his friends knew about his decision before he took to the stage in the IFC Mall office building in Seoul on Saturday morning to announce it publicly in a press conference which was meant to be looking ahead to the pre-season game against Newcastle but ended up being anything but.

As proceedings were about to begin, Son took a breath and his trademark polite manner said: "Before we start, I just want to share the information that I have decided to leave this club this summer. Respectfully, this club is helping me to make my decision. I just want to share this before we start."

football.london asked the former Golden Boot winner just how difficult that decision was after 10 years of wonderful memories in N17.

"It was the most difficult decision of my career. I have been here for 10 years. It’s a beautiful club with beautiful fans. I have such amazing memories," he said. "It was so hard to make the decision. I just felt like I needed a new environment to push myself to get more out of me I think I needed a little bit of change. 10 years is a long time.

"I came to north London as a kid. 23 years old, a very young age. A boy who couldn’t speak English. I leave this club as a grown man. Thank you to all the Spurs fans who have given me so much love. It felt like it was my home. It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made. I think it is the right time to leave. I hope that everyone understands that and respects that."

There were times on Saturday morning when he caught himself, teetering on the edge of breaking into tears, but managed to hold them in, never more so than when speaking about his friends within the club.

"I spoke with only a few guys, ones I've spent a long time with. Obviously they're disappointed, as a friendship or as a team-mate you'd be very disappointed if someone decided to leave, but in a respectful way," he said. "Obviously I'm very close with Ben so we've spoken about the future a lot of times.

"He fully respects my decision. So does everyone. What can I say? It's very, very hard to tell my team-mates because I sometimes probably spend more time with them than my family because we're travelling together, spending time together every single day at the training ground, five or six hours every day. I think we know each other so well.

"Everybody was disappointed but also in a way very happy for me. That was my feeling but I don't what they were actually feeling! They seemed happy but disappointed when I told them my decision."

Some of his team-mates and the coaching staff within Tottenham sensed months ago what was coming this summer. Son was utterly committed to ensuring his final season was a success, but those closest to him noticed the slightest difference, even if it was just a one percent change in how he viewed things.

Injuries hampered his final campaign and he was often playing through pain, but he continued to drive the team on even if his contribution was not as high as he would have wanted.

There is a misconception that Son is not a vocal captain and instead more of a leader by example like Ledley King was during his years at the club.

In fact Son is a talker and those within the dressing room say his greatest strength as a captain was unifying the squad. The ever-smiling South Korean would be seen with his arm around anyone, whether it was another leader like Cristian Romero or a youngster like Mikey Moore or an even fresher wide-eyed recruit sent from the academy into a first team session for the first time.

Son had time for everyone and he brought people together. Spurs have had some fractured squads over the years with cliques and arguments that ran deep, but it's no coincidence that during Son's time as captain the squad was the closest-knit it had been since the Mauricio Pochettino years.

In previous years the club could occasionally split into groups with the Spanish and French speakers off in their own spaces and the English players doing their own thing. Son though would bounce between the groups, a legend and a friend to all of them, and they naturally gelled together with him as their leader.

There's no way a team that suffered through the injury crisis that hit Tottenham last year and the dreadful league form that followed could have won the Europa League without being tightly-knit as a band of brothers rather than an assembly of individuals. Don't forget how young that Spurs squad was and Son played a huge part in focusing those young minds in those final months when it really mattered, even when he couldn't lead them on the pitch as a foot injury dogged him to the point where he had to retreat to the sidelines.

While there is disappointment at Son's exit among his friends at Spurs in terms of losing a grinning force of nature in the dressing room as well as a top player, there is a happiness for him to experience something new.

After a decade in one place, a change of scenery will be perfect for him. MLS has been ideal for Messi to remain in the spotlight and his best moments shared around the world with less focus on anything that declines as age catches up with greatness. The same will be the case for Son and he will be refreshed and reenergised for next summer's World Cup.

Sunday's game against Newcastle could well be Son's final match in a Spurs shirt. There is something beautifully poetic about that. He gets a huge send off in front of 66,000 of his country's fans inside the Seoul World Cup Stadium and it means his final competitive game in front of the Tottenham faithful was that night in Bilbao.

As he sank to his knees and wept on that pitch it all hit him in one go. The relief, the pride and the knowledge that he would leave Tottenham Hotspur in a better place than he found it. After 454 appearances, 173 goals and 101 assists, Son Heung-min had led them to a European title, the trophy drought was over. His job was done.

Thomas Frank has been speaking in Seoul at a press conference where Son Heung-min confirmed that he has decided to leave Tottenham Hotspur.

football.london hadreported earlier on Saturday that the Tottenham captain had told the club and new head coach Thomas Frank of his decision to leave this summer on the perfect high note. Frank is understood to have spoken to a number of senior players at the club when he was first appointed and Son was the only one who indicated a desire to leave.

On Saturday, the 33-year-old confirmed that news at a press conference in South Korea alongside side Frank ahead of the pre-season match against Newcastle.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those in Seoul putting the questions to the Tottenham legend and the new head coach. You can find every single word Son said in a full transcript by heading right here and below we have every word Frank said in the press conference.

Are you looking forward to the game?

Looking forward to it of course. First and foremost to be in South Korea, in Seoul is fantastic. The way the fans met us in the airport is just ‘wow.’ I just saw how much the club means to everyone out here so I’m looking forward to the game. It’s going to be a great game against Newcastle.

What was your reaction to Son's decision to leave?

For me personally, I would love to work with him. He is a fantastic person and player. I’ve had the opportunity to watch him from a distance. He has been here 10 years at Spurs, not just 10 years but 10 amazing years. He is a truly Spurs legend in every aspect. I actually think one of the best players who has ever played in the Premier League as a winger in my opinion.

I like the club has been open to it because it is never easy to find that perfect timing and me coming in a little bit from the side I think it’s probably the perfect timing going out on a high. Been here for 10 years, won a well deserved trophy. Been a key player for many seasons. It’s almost the perfect ending to a happy family.

It looked like you've tried to put Brennan Johnson on the left since Son decided he was leaving, does that he mean he will take his place?

First and foremost, when a great player is leaving a team other players have a chance to shine. Brennan Johnson is a player who could play on the left. Also I think that Wilson Odobert did well against Arsenal and can play on the left and also Mathys Tel is a flexible player. I think we have some young promising players that hopefully can step up and take over from Sonny in the future.

There's been rumours that tomorrow's match might be Son's last match at Tottenham so will you give him as many minutes as possible or look at others for the future?

I think it's very clear. It's no secret that Sonny will start and will lead the team out as captain. So I'm looking forward to that in many ways and if it is to be the last game for Sonny, what a place to do it in South Korea, his home country in front of his home fans. That could potentially be a beautiful ending. First and foremost with the biggest respect to Sonny and what he's done for the club.

Is there anything you'd like to test in tomorrow's game and also with Yang, is there anything you'd like to see from him?

I think the first game against Arsenal I was pleased with the performance going forward, especially in the first half. Now we've got another good test against Newcastle. I'd like to see more of the same especially with the high pressure and the middle pressure, and also add a bit to our phase two in tomorrow's game.

With Yang, he is a good promising young player with good talent and he needs to keep working hard and keep trying to improve and develop. He's not been playing for that long and a role model like Sonny must be fantastic for him.

Son Heung-min has been speaking about his decision to leave Tottenham Hotspur to the media out in South Korea during the club's pre-season tour.

football.london reported earlier that the Spurs captain had told the club and new head coach Thomas Frank of his decision to leave this summer on the perfect high note. Frank is believed to have spoken to a number of senior players at Tottenham when he was first appointed and Son was the only one who indicated a desire to leave.

On Saturday, Son spoke at a press conference in Seoul with Frank ahead of the pre-season match against Newcastle and the 33-year-old explained his decision to look for a new challenge.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those in South Korea putting the questions to the Tottenham legend at what is likely to be his final press conference for the north London club. Here is every single word an emotional Son said, including the statement he made to open the press conference.

Son's statement

Thank you for having us again here in Korea for the second year in a row. Everybody really appreciates it. It’s just incredible. Yesterday at the airport we felt the welcome. Everybody loved this and can’t wait to play tomorrow.

Before we start, I just want to share the information that I have decided to leave this club this summer. Respectfully, this club is helping me to make my decision. I just want to share this before we start.

Where will you go?

I’m not here to talk about my next team. I want to focus on tomorrow’s match.

Why have you decided to leave now?

It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. I have spent 10 years at Tottenham. The main reason is I have achieved everything I can at Tottenham. I need a new environment for a fresh challenge. I’m grateful the club have respected my decision and wish Spurs well for the next season.

You've given us 10 years of wonderful memories at Spurs, how difficult is it going to be to leave?

I said it before but it was the most difficult decision of my career. I have been here for 10 years. It’s a beautiful club with beautiful fans. I have such amazing memories. It was so hard to make the decision. I just felt like I needed a new environment to push myself to get more out of me I think I needed a little bit of change. 10 years is a long time.

I came to north London as a kid. 23 years old, a very young age. A boy who couldn’t speak English. I leave this club as a grown man. Thank you to all the Spurs fans who have given me so much love. It felt like it was my home. It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made. I think it is the right time to leave. I hope that everyone understands that and respects that.

What would you be looking for in your next team?

For now it's to focus on tomorrow's match. I would not give many comments on the next team. Obviously I would like to focus on tomorrow's match and the future and the next team will be decided afterwards. In choosing the next team, the World Cup will definitely be one of the key points that I will consider. It might be my last World Cup so I need my new environment to give all that I've got for my football career. As well as the World Cup, I will also need to find a team that will make me happy while playing football.

Have you spoken to your team-mates about the decision and how did they react?

I spoke with only a few guys, ones I've spent a long time with. Obviously they're disappointed, as a friendship or as a team-mate you'd be very disappointed if someone decided to leave, but in a respectful way. Obviously I'm very close with Ben so we've spoken about the future a lot of times.

Obviously he fully respects my decision. So does everyone. What can I say? It's very, very hard to tell my team-mates because I sometimes probably spend more time with them than my family because we're travelling together, spending time together every single day at the training ground, five or six hours every day. I think we know each other so well. Everybody was disappointed but also in a way very happy for me. That was my feeling but I don't what they were actually feeling! They seemed happy but disappointed when I told them my decision.

You seemed to be a little sadder than normal in Hong Kong and exactly when did you make this decision?

It's been a while since I decided to leave the club. It was not easy days or weeks for me. I always try to be happy and I'm happiest when I'm playing football, but, it's not easy to leave the club where I spent 10 years light-hearted.

I tried to not give any negative impact on other players, didn't want to make any sort of noise, but it was inevitable, that people noticed my feelings. My fans even know my habits, so they could notice about it, but I'll try to have good time for the two days while I'm in here.

Yang Min-hyeok is at the club, are there any tips you'd like to give him?

I'm very happy to see young players come up and develop in Europe. I'm very proud to see Yang fight for a position in the squad. As for tips, I'd like to see Yang experience things on the field and not think too much or too hard. Just focus on what's in front of him.

Son Heung-min has told Tottenham and new head coach Thomas Frank that he wants to leave the club and talks with Los Angeles FC have been taking place over a move, football.london understands.

The 33-year-old has spent 10 years at Spurs, scoring 173 goals and registering 101 assists in 454 appearances. He became the first Asian player to score 100 goals in the Premier League and in May Son managed to do what so few before him have managed at Tottenham in lifting a European trophy as captain of the club.

With that goal achieved and the Europa League trophy in the cabinet, football.london understands that Son told the club and his new head coach Frank earlier this summer that he wanted to leave on the perfect high note. The Dane is believed to have spoken to a number of senior players at Tottenham when he was first appointed and Son was the only one who indicated a desire to leave.

The former Premier League Golden Boot winner is understood to be keen to make the move to Los Angeles, where former Spurs team-mate Hugo Lloris currently plies his trade. The city contains the largest Korean population in the USA and such a move would bring Son to a league that boasts Lionel Messi at Inter Miami as well as an opportunity to put the South Korean star in front of the growing American audience.

Despite interest from Saudi Pro League clubs, which likely would have resulted in more lucrative offers for Tottenham, the north London club were supportive over the move and said to be flexible over the price, timing and destination that Son wanted due to his decade of service and huge contribution to the Lilywhites.

Talks with LAFC have taken place around Spurs' 1-0 win against Arsenal in Hong Kong and now the South Korea captain could make the move to the USA if a deal is agreed with the MLS outfit.

Son has remained professional throughout recent weeks, with his team-mates and Frank praising his efforts in training. He only played 15 minutes at the end of the game against the Gunners and after the final whistle of that encounter, the team's skipper for the night Cristian Romero went over and put the captain's armband on his team-mate, amid some resistance from Son, to ensure he got to lift another piece of silverware with the team, albeit the pre-season Herbalgy Trophy.

Son's potential LA switch means Sunday's match against Newcastle in his homeland might be the final game of his glittering time at the north London club unless the talks continue until Tottenham travel to Munich next week to take on Bayern.

Son and the team arrived to 500 Korean fans waiting inside Incheon International Airport on Friday after Spurs' flight from Hong Kong and he will now get to enjoy a farewell tour of sorts in front of a sell-out 66,000 crowd at the Seoul World Cup Stadium and it could also mean his last game in front of the Tottenham fans was that night in Bilbao.

Son's legacy at the north London club would have been intact regardless because of what he's produced in the 10 years since his £22million move from Bayer Leverkusen, but that Europa League final solidified it in his own mind even if only for one evening.

"Let’s say I’m a legend. Why not? Only today! 17 years nobody has done it, so today let’s say with amazing players probably a legend of the club," he said in Spain after lifting the trophy. "This is what I’ve always dreamed for. Today is the day it happened. I am the happiest man in the world."

Now Son looks set to bring an emotional close to his time at Tottenham and potentially embark on a new chapter of his career in Major League Soccer.

Son Heung-min and head coach Thomas Frank are speaking to the media ahead of Tottenham's pre-season game against Newcastle United in South Korea after the captain asked to leave the club.

There has been speculation surrounding the future of the Spurs skipper with MLS side Los Angeles FC interested in taking him across the Atlantic. With 12 months left on his contract, Son and his team-mates have had to deal with the uncertainty surrounding what comes next for him and football.london reported that the 33-year-old has asked to leave the club.

Frank has been unable to name a captain for the coming season until the situation is resolved one way or another and the two men are speaking in Seoul ahead of Tottenham's second game of their Asian tour as they take on Eddie Howe's Newcastle side.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Son and Frank in Seoul. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference in South Korea.

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli is reportedly contemplating retirement - after being banished from Como's first-team by manager Cesc Fabregas. The 29-year-old signed an 18-month deal with the Serie A outfit in January after leaving Everton at the end of the 2023/24 season.

However, Dele hasn't featured for Como since he was sent off on his debut in a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan at the San Siro on March 15. After that, the midfielder was named in the match-day squad a further seven times by manager, Fabregas, but failed to add to his one and only competitive appearance for the Serie A outfit.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dele, who spent seven years at Tottenham Hotspur after signing from MK Dons in 2015, has been "frozen out" by Fabregas and made to train with a "large contingent of Como players who aren't currently on the roster" of the Italians.

The report from the Italian publication adds that the England international was "harshly" criticised by the one-time Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder after his sending off against the seven-time European champions - coming up five months ago.

Now, following the £25million signing of Martin Baturina from Dinamo Zagreb, coupled with the development of Lucas da Cunha and Maxence Caqueret, Dele has been deemed surplus to requirements in Italy.

And in a fresh twist on Friday afternoon, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that - after a sorry decline in both form and fitness in recent years - Dele is contemplating whether to call time on his career at just 29-years-old.

Dele has endured a difficult time since leaving Tottenham in 2022 and spoke candidly about his difficult upbringing in an emotional interview back in 2023.

The midfielder was regarded as one of the brightest talents in world football and shone under Mauricio Pochettino, scoring 22 goals in all competitions during the 2017/18 campaign. Dele would play a key role in the Spurs' squad that reached the Champions League final and made 37 appearances for England.

Injuries would derail his remarkable ascent and spells with Everton and Besiktas would not act as a catalyst to kick-start his career again. Now, with a year to run on his Como contract, Alli is reportedly considering retirement.

Ben Davies and Son Heung-min are both waiting to see what lies ahead for them either at Tottenham or not in the weeks ahead.

The two close friends have reached the same crossroads in their Spurs careers. Davies is the first team's longest-serving player with 11 years under his belt while Son has now completed a decade in north London. Both players are now in the final 11 months of their contracts after Tottenham took up the option this year to extend them both by another season.

Davies has been linked with a late window move to Leeds United to link up with compatriot and former Spurs team-mate Joe Rodon and some reports have suggested a step down to join Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham as the Disney+-featured side seek a third straight promotion.

The experienced Welshman has become part of the furniture at Tottenham and has been loved by every one of the long string of managers he has worked for, along with his team-mates, thanks to his versatility, intelligence and willingness to put his body on the line for the team.

Ask anyone inside the club and they will all say that nobody has your back quite like Ben Davies does. Even at 32, he retains the hunger to learn and improve that he arrived with in 2014 when he flew across the USA from Swansea's pre-season tour to join up with Tottenham's.

When football.london asked Davies in Hong Kong on the club's latest pre-season tour if he was expecting to see out his contract to make it 12 years in N17 or if there was a chance he could depart this summer, the Welshman said: "That one is not necessarily under my control. I reported for pre-season and I’m excited to be here.

"My focus is now on how I can help this club this year and if something changes I’m sure I will be picking up that phone call but right now I don’t see anything else."

Few are closer at Tottenham than Davies and Son, with the South Korean godfather to the Welshman's son Ralph and the former Premier League Golden Boot winner having proudly watched on at his wedding to his now wife Emily.

So it is somewhat fitting that the two men are going through the same situation at the same time.

Son is open to leaving Spurs this season after finally realising his dream of lifting a trophy with the club. MLS side Los Angeles FC, where former Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris plays, are keen on taking him across the Atlantic.

Davies chuckled when asked whether he had given Son any advice over his current situation.

"He's older than me, so when it comes to advice, he needs to be the one leading it, to be honest!" he said. "But look, footballers, we go through different moments in our careers all the time and he has one year left.

"There's definitely some uncertainty around what's going to happen with him, but all I can say about him is he's been nothing but professional since he's come back in the last few weeks. He's trained hard.

"If there was none of the talk in public about what was happening, I don't think you would know. So it's probably the biggest testament I can give is that he's kept his head down. He's worked hard and what will be will be."

After 10 years spent in each other's company, Davies' favourite memory of the Spurs captain was not one on the pitch. It was a private meal to celebrate something special.

"Me and him are really good friends so we've had a lot of times together, so most of my memories do seem to probably fall off the pitch, but I think it's probably when he got his 100th goal in the Premier League," said the defender.

"That was a big moment for him and something that he'd been striving for for a long time. And I remember after he got that we had a little celebratory dinner at my house with just a few of his mates and stuff. It was really nice to see someone put so much effort in to get that."

A new memory was formed in May when Davies got to see his friend do what so few had dome before him at Tottenham and lift a trophy as captain alongside him.

"I was very proud, very proud. Like I said, he's put so much effort in and probably is one of the people that it takes a toll on the most is when he so focused on success and such a talented player as well," he said.

"Probably in his career he would have deserved to have won more, but I can probably imagine he felt pretty similar to me. It was probably a big sense of relief for him to get that over the line and it was something that he really deserved. I was very, very happy for him."

On winning that Europa League trophy as a squad, Davies added: "It was relief more than anything. We have been there a few times. I’ve played a lot of games for this club. It got to the point where it was that longing and desire, that desperation.

"We just wanted to win something no matter what it was. We have come close, we have fought, we have lost games where we could have won and been in better situations. When that final whistle went it was just relief and happiness that we knew we were going into a new season as champions of a European competition. It was a special memory."

The man who scored that winning goal in Bilbao was Brennan Johnson. Despite being Spurs' top scorer last season with 18 goals, the attacker found himself the subject of plenty of criticism from the club's fans. The abuse he was getting on social media led to him withdrawing from Instagram for a time.

Davies has seen a lot of players come and go through his time at Tottenham so he knows what someone can bring and he believes that many often don't see what his international team-mate does for the side.

"Brennan's a really, really good guy. He came into the Wales squad when I'd been there quite a while and you could see instantly we had a very likeable character, very down to earth, but also someone that when it comes to the nitty gritty of tough football that we knew what we had then and he's been brilliant through the years that I've been with him at Wales and I was delighted when he joined this club, to be honest," he said.

"It was a shrewd signing and he's someone who knows where the goal is, someone who does a lot of stuff that maybe a lot of people don't pick up on, but he's always one of them that's in the thick of the action and knows where the goal is."

He added on whether a lot of the criticism was unjustified: "Definitely. I think that all through the season he was playing a role where there might have been times he wasn't getting on the ball all the time and ultimately a big part of his game was just being in the right place at the right time and he's one of the best at that.

"As you could see in those crucial moments in the big games, he stepped up and no more so in the final and for someone like him, I was delighted for him, for his family. They're big supporters of his, but they're always around that Wales set up and I see them always at Spurs. So just a great family that deserved that success and I was very happy for them."

Now Davies is part of yet another era at the club with his sixth permanent manager in 11 years as well as a string of caretaker head coaches that have been and gone.

So does this summer feel different in that not only is there a new man at the helm in Thomas Frank but also Spurs and their players are now champions?

"In one aspect yes, in other aspects no. It’s new faces, new environment and new ideas that are coming in. It’s always exciting when that does happen because as I said you learn new things," he said.

"Even when you’ve been around the game as long as I have, you see things from a different perspective. It’s always good to learn from the new guys coming in, especially Thomas who had an amazing time at Brentford and I think one of the things you saw from that team was how intelligent they were. How they properly fought against the odds at times to succeed. I’m looking forward to working and learning under him."

Davies has got used to the conveyor belt of managers that comes with the territory in the Premier League.

"It’s part and parcel of being a footballer in this day and age. You are going to have a lot of managers and it’s just the transient nature of how the game has become," he said. "Having someone like Pochettino like I did for five years is not really happening at many clubs anymore.

"That’s not to say that it’s not strange when it happens and as players you feel partially responsible for that but it’s something you have to get used to. With a new manager it’s a chance to learn more and develop as a player."

While Ange Postecoglou will go down in history for leading Tottenham to their first European trophy in 41 years, he also oversaw one of their worst league seasons as the club finished 17th in the Premier League amid injuries galore, disappointing defeats and a switch in focus to the Europa League midway through the campaign.

"It was probably one of the strangest seasons of my career. There were struggles. It was tough at times," said Davies. "In the league we were probably lucky to be in that situation we were in because we weren’t anywhere near the level we knew we could be.

"At the end of the season you could see where the priorities had shifted. Ultimately, if you look back in the history books I don’t think too many people are going to care."

Now there is a new face in the dugout and the Dane has quickly tried to get his ideas across to the squad. Davies said there has been work on building more of a structure within the team than the fluid style under Postecoglou.

"When we all came in we had a sit down meeting and it was basically about what was expected this year and where he thinks we can improve as a team and where the low-hanging fruit is for us to be better in the league than last year," said the Welshman.

"We have been working on that in pre-season, some different tactical aspects, a bit more structure in the team. I think hopefully we will see the results of that pretty quickly.

"The thing he said to us which is more important than anything is that we are in four big competitions this year and we have proven we can be up there with anyone. We have to have a go in each and every one of them."

He added: "Early doors it is just about trying to get everyone to buy into the ideas. There has not been anything which is too in depth so far. There are little nuggets you can pick up here and there.

"Everyone from working with these guys, you can see the value that they put on certain aspects of the game. How, as I mentioned before, there is low hanging fruit where you can pick up goals which turn into wins which can turn into a lot of points come the end of the season for minimal effort if you are in the right headspace for it.

"Without going in to too many details of what that is, I feel like I have picked up a few things."

Davies will have been watching Frank and the coaching staff closely for more than just his improvement as a player. The defender has been proactive in preparing for his career after he hangs up his boots, earning a degree in economics and business as well as studying for coaching qualifications for when it's time to step off the pitch.

There are no concrete plans though for what will come next for the affable Welshman.

"Not yet, not yet. It's definitely something that I've thought about and I've had to think about putting things in place. While I've been here, I've done my coaching badges, so I've got my A licence, which is pretty rare," he admitted.

"I don't think many football players, current players have got that right now. I've done quite a bit of work with the academy at Spurs and I've really enjoyed that. So that's definitely one avenue that I think I will end up pursuing, whether it's at Tottenham or elsewhere.

"I don't know, but I'm hoping to play for a few years longer. The body feels good. So I'll see where it goes and then, on the other hand, I've definitely have an interest in the business of sport as well, and we will see.

"I think there's a lack of athletes involved in the other side of the game. So let's see where that takes me."

When Davies' time at Tottenham does come to an end, it will be done without the headlines, pomp and external emotion that his best friend Son's exit will bring.

Yet the Welshman has been as important a contributor to life at Tottenham Hotspur over the years and you will find few who have had the best interests of the club and his team-mates at heart quite as much as him.