The Son Heung-Min era, at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, is now officially over. Son utilized the post match press conference in his native South Korea, following the score draw with Newcastle United, to say goodbye to the North London club. While he said he wasn’t sure what’s next for him, reports abound that he’ll break the Major League Soccer transfer fee record when he makes the move to Los Angeles Football Club.
According to GiveMeSport’s Tom Bogert and Ben Jacobs, Son has agreed personal terms to join LAFC while the two clubs have reached an agreement on a transfer fee.
It’s not finalized yet, but just about there. Inter Miami CF were said to be keen as well, but ultimately they dropped out of the running. According to reports, Son, who is still contracted to Spurs until 2026, will move over on a deal worth up to about $27,000,000.
That would easily eclipse the current record holder, Atlanta United, who acquired Emmanuel Latte Lath from Middlesbrough for $22 million in February. That surpasses the previous record, Kévin Denkey to FC Cincinnati, earlier this year for $16.2 million.
“It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made,” Son said in Seoul, after the friendly. “But I think it’s the right time to make this decision. I hope that everybody understands my decision and that everyone respects that.
“I came to North London as a kid, 23 years old, very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English and leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment.”
Son, who scored 127 goals in 333 appearances with Spurs across since joining in 2015, is all-time leading Asian born scorer in both Premier League and UEFA Champions League history. He was the last remaining Spurs player from the 2018-19 team that finished runner-up to Liverpool in the UCL.
However, he did get to claim a piece of silverware last season, as Tottenham won the UEFA Europa League.
Asked in Korean about what club he’ll play for next, he responded: “I don’t think I have an answer yet.”
An official announcement from LAFC, Tottenham and Son Heung-Min should come in the next few days.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter