Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min has revealed he will leave the club this summer, with LAFC heavily tipped to pursue the South Korean star.
Son unveiled his intentions while speaking at a press conference alongside newly appointed Spurs head coach Thomas Frank in Seoul, South Korea, ahead of Sunday’s pre-season fixture against fellow Premier League side Newcastle United.
“Before we start, I just want to share the information that I have decided to leave this club this summer,” Son said. “Respectfully, this club is helping me to make my decision. It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. The main reason is I have achieved everything I can at Tottenham. I need a new environment for a fresh challenge.
“I have been here for 10 years. It’s a beautiful club with beautiful fans. I have such amazing memories. I just felt like I need a new environment to push myself to get more out of me. I think I need a little bit of change. 10 years is a long time.”
Son wraps up his decade with Tottenham with 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 competitive matches. He could make a final appearance for the club against Newcastle in front of strong South Korean support at Seoul World Cup Stadium in the capital on Sunday.
“I came to North London as a kid, 23 years old,” he added. “[I was a] young boy who came to London who didn’t even speak English, and leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment."
LAFC Move Looms?
“I don’t think I have an answer yet,” Son responded when pressed about his next step.
Several reports have linked him to Major League Soccer side LAFC. The club is keen to add a new headlining Designated Player after splitting with French forward Olivier Giroud, and Son would allow them to balance the attack alongside current DP winger, Denis Bouanga.
Additionally, former Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is a key part of the West Coast MLS club, and the team has not been shy of signing elite former Spurs talent in the past. To date, Gareth Bale has been the club’s most significant signing and played a key role in their run to the 2022 MLS Cup title.
A move to the United States and LAFC would also likely come with significant commercial value for Son. The country is home to the largest Korean population outside of Korea, and the Los Angeles area is home to over 350,000 South Koreans, according to the Pew Research Center.
On the pitch, Son would likely outshine the stature of Bale’s previous tenure with the club and could become the second-best player in MLS, only behind Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi. At the same time, his status and playing style would fit well under current head coach Steve Cherundolo, and likely translate to a new boss, with Cherundolo set to leave the role at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, he would not be the only experienced European star to arrive on the West Coast, as Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller appears set to join Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
LAFC currently sit sixth in the MLS Western Conference with 12 matches remaining in the regular season before likely taking on the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘I Achieved Everything’—Son Heung-min Announces Spurs Departure As LAFC Eye South Korean Star.