Tottenham Icon Linked with Exit: Why Spurs Would Be Smart to Sell

Over recent days, Tottenham fans have seemed to accept the serious possibility of their beloved Heung-min Son exiting North London this summer. This comes following the remarkably strong interest shown in the South Korean by a flurry of Saudi clubs.

Three Saudi clubs enquire on Son, who could leave Spurs after their South Korea tour.🇰🇷
- Talks on future with Thomas Frank
- Saudi target since 2023. Has previously rejected approaches
- Dealmakers willing to pay €40m plus add-ons
- €30m wage on offerhttps://t.co/POQECytAPU

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 17, 2025

Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Qadsiah are among the likely suitors to be Son’s next destination. Türkiye, Germany, and the USA could also be potential moves for Son with interest certainly existing with some teams there, but the Saudi Arabian sides are the most intrigued in their chances of securing his signature.

It is not concrete that Son will depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer however, with Spurs not expected to budge unless their asking price of £50m is met. The Lilywhites are not set to make a final decision on their star man until August, with Son contractually obliged to be a part of Tottenham’s pre-season tour of Asia. The forward has made 411 appearances for the club and scored 164 times since joining in 2016 from Bayer Leverkusen.

Is Selling Son the Right Choice?

Thomas Frank’s arrival from Brentford, following the controversial sacking of their Europa League-winning manager Ange Postecoglou, only added fuel to the fire, intensifying speculation around Son’s potential departure. But would selling the South Korean be the correct choice?

The most heartfelt message from a #thfc player towards Ange Postecoglou departing has come from the captain: Heung-Min Son. 🇰🇷🤍🇦🇺

◉ Appointed him as Captain
◉ Sonny won countless matches for him
◉ Ange coached Sonny to a European trophy

Ange, you’re a legend. Forever. 🐓 pic.twitter.com/N6ZVqXdskq

— Spurs Army (@SpursArmyTweets) June 7, 2025

After Tottenham’s continental success during the 2024/25 Europa League season, it means that they will compete in the UEFA Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign, and considering their abysmal domestic performance, they will need to vastly improve their squad if they are to compete alongside Europe’s elite and not fade away without making the knockout stage.

Since Spurs have also broken their 17-year long trophy curse, players may not dismiss the move to North London so fast, and it may have bolstered Daniel Levy’s chances in tempting some players to join The Lilywhites who would not have done so last summer.

WHAT A SPECIAL MOMENT - SONNY LIFTING THE EUROPA LEAGUE 🏆💙 #COYS pic.twitter.com/F1VZE92UzG

— Talking THFC (@TalkingTHFC) May 21, 2025

Son will be 33 years old by the time next season gets underway, meaning he will most likely be entering the stage in his career where athleticism and peak match sharpness might start to decline. We saw last season he only started 24 Premier League games and just nine in Europe. Spurs will be required to most likely play in excess of 50 games next season, so he may not be able to be a regular fixture in the team and play his roles week-in week-out.

His goals to minutes ratio has also taken a hit this past season, further suggesting that selling him this summer might be the best choice before it’s too late. He scored six more goals last season despite playing 200 minutes less and 10 less matches.

Spurs will need to look for players entering their prime and who have vast experience in playing many matches per season. This may come through eyeing up outcasts at elite clubs. Alternatively, the region of £50m received for Son could be used to seal signings of existing targets such as Bryan Mbeumo, who is already setting his sights on the move to rejoin Frank. They could also look into bringing in Eberechi Eze, who has deserved a move away to join a European club for some time now, as both players will be of a similar cost to Spurs.

BREAKING: Tottenham Hotspur have held initial discussions with Brentford about a deal for Bryan Mbeumo 🚨

Mbeumo is understood to be more intrigued by a move to Tottenham now that Thomas Frank has become their head coach. pic.twitter.com/3Y7IDg70ca

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 13, 2025

If they keep Son for one more season, he becomes 34, and will leave on a free since his contract lasts until next summer, so it would be a clever idea for Levy to cash in on him while he still can. The South Korean earns £190,000 per week and is no surprise, Tottenham’s highest earner.

If Tottenham are able to shift Son on, it would free up almost £10m in yearly salary which would certainly accommodate for any additional signings made in order to compete next season. Tottenham will need additions to their squad, as they will want to compete in Europe, but Levy has also stated his intentions to win the Premier League.

Any potential Tottenham exit for Heung-min Son is likely to be delayed until after the trip to Asia with any absence likely to risk complications with tour organisers [@SamiMokbel_BBC] pic.twitter.com/59tEZzZwmF

— The Spurs Web (@thespursweb) June 17, 2025

Although selling Heung-min Son could see a decrease in commercial cost due to his significant Asian fanbase, tough decisions like this need to be made, and will be the best choice long-term for Tottenham Hotspur if they want to be challenging each year for titles domestically and continentally.