It was the news that everyone in the orbit of Tottenham Hotspur had been hanging on all season.
There was never any consultation of whether or not the spurs would exercise their option to make the biggest contract of Son Heung-min until next season. The club has been very transparent about its goal of doing so. The only stranger was when the Spurs would take this step, regularly delivered in the form of an official letter. And confirmation even though everything arrived on Tuesday at 10 a. m.
While other clubs have been interested in signing Son, it was never in fact in the final year of his deal, as Spurs made a decision long ago to take a chance, meaning he was never going to have a loose move in 2025.
The idea of letting him walk away now never made sense. Had Tottenham not taken the option, then Son could have left as a free agent at the end of this season, ending his 10-year association with the club. Spurs would have then had to spend the summer struggling to replace him, not just for his goals, his leadership, his experience but also his global stardom and recognition. At least now that difficult moment has been pushed further into the future.
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Tottenham trigger Son contract extension
For many of Yarn’s greatest enthusiasts in the house in Korea, there is relief that his prompt long career has been clarified, with a touch of frustration that he took so long.
“After going back and forth, a one-year extension is finally reached,” was the headline of a story in the Seoul daily paper The JoongAng. “Finally, Tottenham announces a one-year option contract for Son Heung-min,” the headline of a story in Sports Chosun. While many of Son’s biggest fans in Korea wanted this situation resolved sooner, the reality is that the ball was always in Spurs’ court, and there was never any pressure to do anything until now.
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But all this seems to be the precursor to a broader series of questions. Will it be the son’s last at Spurs next season?And how will Tottenham end up managing the departure of one of its most important players in the modern era?
This is because it is an unavoidable fact that this has not been a classic season for Son on the pitch. He has been consistent in his availability for Spurs: only five players have played more league minutes than the captain, all of them much younger than Son. But in terms of output, he has not been at his best. More than halfway through the campaign, Son has five Premier League goals and six assists. Not disastrous numbers, but not good by his standards either.
Last season felt like a real return to form from Son after a poor 2022-23. The end of Antonio Conte’s tenure was not a happy time for Son, as he tried to play through a painful hernia problem that eventually required surgery after that season was over. The arrival of Ange Postecoglou seemed to revitalise Son and last season he looked better again. Even though he had to play most of that season up front, rather than on the left, because of the lack of alternative No 9s in the Spurs squad.
This season, the production of the Son League has decreased slightly. On the key purpose of the scoring metrics, XG consisting of 90, XG without penalty consisting of 90, purposes consisting of 90, this season has been closer to 2022-23 for them that last season, although it has done more in terms Decisive. It constantly constantly consistent with the formation of its XG to complete around the pair. There have been times when son has begun to look at his age, and do not forget that, as a 32 -year -old man who trusted his ideal athletics so much, he could not call that explosiveness at will.
He also feels like a son, like some other Spurs strikers, has had to play more football than would be ideal due to a lack of rotation options. The spaces recently lost almost all of their first line of rescue due to injuries. Wilson Odobert started two leagues The games are still going through hamstring injuries and they haven’t played since. Richarlison hasn’t even started in the league yet. Mikey Moore made his way to the festival but then suffered an unfortunate illness. Timo Werner did not give a reliable contitiette. Dejan Kulusevski covered the attack in almost every game when they were in form.
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Perhaps next season, when the Spurs once again have a more powerful and deeper team, the physical demands on their children will be less. And maybe if I played less, I could give more. Tottenham are not expected to be as reliant on their son as they have been this season.
Let us also remember that next season will also be overshadowed during the 2026 World Cup. South Korea is in a very smart position to qualify and can get closer to this goal with two more smart effects in March. The tournament next year would be the fourth with South Korea and the last.
But during the next season, the Spurs and the son will have to think about what happens after the World Cup. Spurs must explore the option to sign a new long-term agreement, the 2026-2027 season or perhaps further. Given the child’s importance for the entire football club, it is unlikely that there is a day when Tottenham does not need a son in the building.
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The popularity of Son Heung-Min and Tottenham in South Korea is unlikely to wane anytime soon
Son will turn 34 during that World Cup and it remains to be seen what he will want to do in the final phase of his career. It is almost impossible to see him playing for a rival club in England, or maybe even in Europe, but given his unique fame and appeal, he would have offers from every league in the world if he were to be a free agent 18 months from now.
So perhaps this is the start of the final phase of Son, the last season and a half when he will certainly be tied to Spurs. When he does eventually leave, he will do so as one of Tottenham’s most significant and most loved players of this or any era. But he deserves for that to be acknowledged while he is still at the club.
(Top photo: Catherine Ivill – Ama/Getty Images)