Tottenham Hotspur no longer have to worry about Heung-Min Son (32) leaving on a transfer-free basis – at least for the time being. The Premier League club has exercised a contract option.
Even though Harry Kane has been a thing of the past for some time now, at least half of the long-standing strike duo will remain with Tottenham Hotspur for a little while longer. As the Spurs announced on Tuesday, the Premier League club has exercised an option in Heung-Min Son’s expiring contract, extending it by one year. Instead of only being tied to the Spurs until June of this year, Son is now committed to the club until 2026.
“He has a permanent place in our history,” Tottenham wrote in the corresponding club announcement about the South Korean, who had moved from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to North London in 2015 and has also been the Spurs captain since Kane’s departure in 2023. It was only in December that Son broke the record for the most Premier League assists in Spurs history.
Barcelona was probably interested
Nevertheless, it was not certain for a long time whether the attacker’s commitment would extend beyond the current season. Son’s contract, which was last extended in 2021, expired after the current season, so a transfer-free departure was on the cards. Several clubs are said to have kept an eye on Son’s situation, including Barcelona, which, according to the Daily Telegraph, is said to have considered signing him if he were indeed available for free.
According to FIFA statutes, Son would have been able to negotiate freely with other clubs without the need for Spurs’ approval from January 1, six months before the end of his contract. However, it does not appear that this has happened yet. It was reported back in December that Tottenham wanted to take up the contract option. This is now official. In view of the short contract term, a departure cannot be completely ruled out, but at least it will not happen without Tottenham receiving some compensation.
