Tottenham fear captain Son Heung-min is finished as an elite-level footballer, and a report claims two clubs are prepared to hand Spurs an agonising decision with bids of up to €50m.
Son is a bona fide Tottenham legend and currently sits fifth in the club’s all-time top scorers list. With Martin Chivers (174) just two goals ahead, Son should take fourth spot over the coming months.
Spurs activated the one-year option in Son’s deal in January, ensuring the iconic winger is tied down for one more season at least.
However, now aged 32, Son has looked a fading force this season and per GMS, Tottenham are increasingly concerned their talisman will never get back to being the offensive threat he once was.
Accordingly, it was claimed Son may have to accept a bench role next season, with loanee Mathys Tel lined up as the potential new starter on the left side. Spurs hold an option to turn Tel’s move permanent in the summer to the tune of £45m.
But according to a fresh update from CaughtOffside, Tottenham could be handed an even more agonising decision than whether to bench their captain.
It’s claimed Saudi Arabian sides Al Ittihad and Al Hilal ‘are both keen’ on signing Son in the upcoming summer.
What’s more, the pair are said to be ‘willing to pay as much as €50m for the South Korea international.’
€50m equates to £41.4m and is an extraordinary sum for a declining winger who’ll turn 33 before the start of next season. And if the report from GMS is accurate, Tottenham are well aware Son is on the downslope.
Nonetheless, it’s claimed Spurs’ preference at this stage would be to reject any approaches they receive for their skipper.
But if Son continues to struggle in the remaining months of the season and a healthy bid of around €50m is lodged, they could quickly change their mind and cash in while they still can.
Tottenham line up Son replacement?
According to TBR Football, Spurs could reignite their interest in Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze if Son departs.
The versatile Eze can operate in a variety of attacking roles and wouldn’t be viewed as a like-for-like replacement on the left wing.
As previously mentioned, that spot could go to Mathys Tel if his loan is turned into a permanent deal.
But Eze would provide Ange Postecoglou with a new creative force capable of racking up both goals and assists and the 26-year-old is now viewed as a ‘top target’ in north London.
Eze’s deal at Selhurst Park contains a £68m release clause that re-activates in the summer.
It was active last summer, though despite widespread interest – including from Tottenham – no club triggered it.