It has been a roller coaster of a season for Tottenham Hotspur so far this year.
Ange Postecoglou's side currently sit in eighth place in the Premier League, and while they have picked up some impressive wins against the likes of Manchester United and West Ham United, they have also lost to Brighton & Hove Albion and, most recently, Crystal Palace.
However, while the North Londoners have been frustratingly inconsistent in the league, they have been exceptional in the cup competitions and are currently undefeated in both the Europa League and Conference League.
Moreover, Postecoglou got one over Pep Guardiola in the former on Wednesday night and now has a real chance to end the club's trophy drought in the coming months, but a problem is brewing under the surface, and it involves Son Heung-min.
Spurs' Son Heung-min problem
Okay, let's get straight to the point here before the pitchforks come out. Spurs' issue with Son is not his form or ability; it is his age and the need to find a long-term replacement.
The South Korean legend is still a productive member of Postecoglou's squad, but at 32 years old, he is far closer to the end of his career than the start.
As fans will attest, he is less effective on the wing than he used to be, and that's not surprising as, according to research conducted by The Athletic, wingers typically enter their peak years at around 26 years old.
So, with the former Bayer Leverkusen star in the latter stages of his career, Daniel Levy and Co need to find another long-term replacement, as the burden cannot fall exclusively on Timo Werner due to his ability or Mikey Moore due to his age - he's too talented to risk burnout.
So, the ideal way forward would be to sign a replacement for Werner in the summer, who could compete with Son for game time now and then compete with Moore in a few years when the 32-year-old retires or moves on.
The good news is that the club were supposedly interested in the perfect candidate earlier this year, a player admired by Zinedine Zidane.
Why Takefusa Kubo would be a brilliant option for Spurs
Yes, the player in question is Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo, who was touted for a £51m move to Spurs during the summer, and while that's no small fee, it's a transfer Levy and Co should look at again in 2025.
The Japanese international has been impressing for La Real for a few seasons now, racking up 18 goals and 14 assists for the club in just 98 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement every 3.06 games.
Moreover, while the 23-year-old, whom Zidane once described as a "very interesting player", has spent most of his career playing off the right, he is no stranger to playing off the left either, suggesting that he'd have no trouble slotting into Son's role in N17.
On top of that, as the "insane" winger, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is 23 years old, he strikes the perfect balance between being experienced and still young enough to further develop, meaning he could be the ideal long-term competition for Moore when he's old enough to start for the first team regularly.
Lastly, the former FC Tokyo prospect already knows Postecoglou, as he played under him during a previous loan stint with Yokohama F. Marinos, so he'll have a rough idea of the Australian's methods and demands.
Ultimately, Son is a Spurs icon and should remain a productive first-team member for at least a couple more seasons. However, time comes for us all, and to make sure the burden of replacing the South Korean does not fall squarely on the shoulders of Moore, Levy and Co should look to bring Kubo to the club in 2025.