Korea JoongAng Daily

Son Heung-min's absence from Tottenham Hotspur’s 2025-26 kit launch is fueling growing speculation that the club captain may be heading for a blockbuster move to Saudi Arabia.

Tottenham unveiled its new home kit on Tuesday through official channels — but Son, the face of the club for nearly a decade, was nowhere to be seen. It’s the first time the Korean star has been left out of the main promotional rollout, sparking questions about his future.

British outlet “Tottenham Hotspur News” reported that Son effectively said his goodbyes after the UEFA Europa League final, and the club has since begun restructuring its roster, according to the report.

Son, 32, joined Tottenham in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen and has played with the club for nearly 10 seasons. In 2023, he became the club captain — the first Asian player to hold the position.

However, his performance declined in recent seasons, scoring only seven goals across 30 league matches. He was also excluded from the starting lineup in the Europa League final due to lingering injury issues.

Now, the Saudi Pro League appears to be circling.

Al Ittihad offered Son a staggering 25.3 million pounds ($32.4 million) annual deal last year, and with Saudi Arabia’s transfer window set to open on July 20, formal negotiations are expected to resume. The league has already lured major stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema — and Son would be a major coup.

Tottenham has yet to comment on Son’s omission or his transfer status.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]

Son Heung-min, fresh off his first career trophy win, returned to Korea on a high note with a bright smile and a visible scar — the mark of a hard-earned victory.

Tottenham Hotspur's Korean captain arrived at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday afternoon following the conclusion of the 2024–25 season.

Dressed in a white T-shirt, blue denim jacket and black pants, Son was greeted with cheers from fans as he walked out of the arrivals gate. A faint scratch, left on his forehead during the team's title celebration, was still visible — a “glorious scar” from the moment he finally lifted silverware.

Smiling brightly, Son waved to fans with both hands. Surrounded by security personnel, he made his way through the terminal but paused to greet fans who called out to him. He received bouquets, letters and gifts, shaking hands with several supporters.

As he approached his car, fans called out, “Handsome!” and “Son!” Moments before getting in, he stopped to fulfill a fan request — to wear his Europa League winner’s medal. Son obliged, slinging the medal around his neck and flashing another wide grin.

Son led Spurs to victory in the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League with the captain's armband, lifting a trophy for the first time in his 15-season professional career. Although he got his start in Germany and reached the final stages of numerous competitions over the years, he had never clinched a title — until now.

Tottenham struggled throughout the domestic season, and Son was sidelined late in the campaign with a foot injury. Despite these setbacks, he ended the season on a triumphant note by helping his team top the Europa League.

With his club duties now complete, Son is set to join the national team led by head coach Hong Myung-bo. Korea will play Iraq away on June 6 in Basra for the ninth match of Group B in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Four days later, the team will return home to face Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium for their final group stage match.

Korea currently leads Group B, but losing both upcoming games could result in a drop to the fourth qualifying round. The team is aiming for at least a draw against Iraq to secure an 11th consecutive World Cup appearance.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]

LEE TAE-HEE

Son Heung-min's Tottenham Hotspur jersey price is soaring after he secured his first European trophy in his 15th season on the continent.

Global match-worn kit auction site MatchWornShirt began an auction on Friday for Tottenham players’ jerseys from the 2024-2025 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Europa League (UEL) final, held the previous day at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, where they defeated Manchester United.

Son, who started on the bench and entered the match in the 22nd minute of the second half, is leading the auction with the highest bid among Tottenham players. The bidding for his jersey started at 89 euros (130,000 won) and skyrocketed to 2,658 euros within an hour, surpassing 10,000 euros in 10 hours. As of now, there have been 31 bids, with the price reaching 12,890 euros.

Son’s jersey is categorized as “issued,” meaning it was prepared for the match but not actually worn during play. Clubs typically prepare spare jerseys in case one gets torn before or during a match. This issued jersey was collected directly by Tottenham and features Son’s autograph.

The jersey of defender Micky van de Ven, who made a crucial clearance of a Rasmus Hojlund’s header near the goal line, is currently the second-highest in bidding after Son’s. It started at 150 euros and has reached 10,002 euros. Van de Ven’s jersey is a “match-worn” version, indicating it was actually worn during the game.

The “match-worn” jersey of Brennan Johnson, who scored the winning goal, is currently at 9,001 euros, while the “match-worn” jersey of Cristian Romero, who wore the captain’s armband before Son came on, follows at 4,600 euros.

The auction, which began shortly after Tottenham won the UEL title, will run for about three weeks, with proceeds going to the Tottenham Foundation. The victory marked Tottenham’s first official title in 17 years, since the 2007-2008 League Cup.

Son, who previously finished as runner-up in the 2016-2017 Premier League (EPL), the 2020-2021 League Cup and the 2018-2019 UEFA Champions League (UCL), finally claimed his first trophy in his 15th European season.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min recently filed a police complaint alleging that he was blackmailed by a woman who claimed to be pregnant with his child, police said Wednesday.

According to the Gangnam Police Precinct in southern Seoul, it received the complaint on May 7 and has launched an investigation into two individuals — a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s — on suspicion of extortion.

The woman falsely claimed she was pregnant with his child in June last year and demanded several hundred million won in return, according to reports.

The police are currently verifying the details of the case by questioning the people involved.

“We cannot confirm specific allegations as the investigation is ongoing,” a police official said.

BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]