Son Heung-min has confirmed he will leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer, ending a glittering 10-year spell in North London. The South Korea captain broke the news in an emotional press conference in Seoul, calling it the hardest decision of his career.
“It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made,” Son said. “But I think it’s the right time. I hope everyone understands and respects it.”
Son arrived at Spurs in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen for £22 million. At just 23, he didn’t speak English and was relatively unknown in English football.
Now 33, he leaves as a club legend, Spurs’ sixth-most capped player, with 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 games.
Son’s farewell comes just months after captaining Tottenham to their first trophy in 17 years, beating Manchester United in the Europa League final.
“Winning the Europa League made me feel like I had achieved everything here,” Son said. “I need a new environment to push myself.”
Son is in advanced talks with Major League Soccer side LAFC. But he insists no final decision has been made yet on his next destination.
Tottenham are currently in Seoul for pre-season, and Son is set to start and captain Sunday’s friendly against Newcastle at the World Cup Stadium.
“If that’s his last game, what a place to do it,” said new head coach Thomas Frank. “It could be a beautiful ending.”
Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in June, called Son “a true Spurs legend” and “one of the greatest to play in the Premier League.”
Son made 333 Premier League appearances, scoring 127 goals and forming a record-breaking partnership with Harry Kane.
Their 47 goal combinations remain unmatched in Premier League history. In two seasons alone, they linked up for 21 goals. Son also made history as the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot in 2022, sharing the award with Mohamed Salah.
In 2023, he became the first Asian to reach 100 Premier League goals. Only five players have made more appearances for Spurs.
“I came to North London as a kid and leave as a grown man,” he said. “Ten years is a long time. It’s time for something new.”
