Tottenham Hotspur player Son Heung-min has confirmed that he will leave the team he has played for for ten years this summer.
He announced this in a press conference ahead of their pre-season match against Newcastle United in South Korea on Sunday (3 August) at 16:30 local time at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
‘It was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make. But I think it’s the right time. I hope everyone understands and respects my decision,” the South Korean star said on the club’s official website on Saturday.
Son joined Spurs in August 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen. Since then, he has become the focal point of the north London club’s attack, scoring 173 goals and providing 101 assists in 454 appearances across all competitions, winning one Europa League trophy.
“I came to North London as a young man of 23. I was a young kid who didn’t even speak English when I came to London, so to leave this club as a man is a very proud moment,” said the now 33-year-old.
He admitted that he made this decision after finally winning a trophy for Tottenham last season — the Europa League — by beating Manchester United in the final.
‘Winning the Europa League makes me feel like I’ve achieved everything I can here. I need a new environment and a new challenge,” said Son.
Meanwhile, the new Spurs manager, Thomas Frank, said that it would be a ‘beautiful ending’ for Son if the Newcastle game were to be his last, as he would be saying goodbye in his home country.
“Sonny will clearly start and lead the team as captain. If this is his last game, it would be wonderful for him to do it here, in front of the home fans. It could be a wonderful ending,” said the former Brentford manager.
Following their match against Newcastle, Spurs will travel to Germany to play Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Thursday (7 August) at 11:30 PM WIB. This will be their final pre-season match before they face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final at the Bluenergy Stadium in Italy a week later.
Meanwhile, journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States is the favourite destination for the footballer born in Chuncheon, Gangwon, South Korea.
‘The player has informed Spurs management and the new manager, Thomas Frank,’ Romano wrote on his official X account on Saturday.
‘Negotiations are underway with MLS club LAFC (Los Angeles FC),’ he said, ‘after he was also approached by Saudi Arabian clubs in May. MLS is the most likely destination,” he added.