Tottenham forward Heung-min Son has expressed his desire to remain at the club as they look to tie him down to a new long-term contract, a source close to the player told Goal on Friday.
Son, 31, is delighted with the progress of the new regime and is eager to be involved in the plans they are making.
Goal first broke the news that Spurs were ready to discuss a new deal with Son on Friday.
It is anticipated that Spurs will activate the one year extension clause in Son’s current contract, which will extend his stay until June 2026, but a source has suggested that negotiations could still take place for a more comprehensive long-term agreement.
This would likely include a salary increase to reflect Son’s new role as club captain, and would be “unbelievable”. This is in spite of Tottenham’s stringent wage structure, with Son already earning the highest wage of any senior player in the club’s history. At present, Son is the undisputed leader at Spurs, having replaced Harry Kane in the role of first-choice striker in the past two Premier League games and bagged a hat-tricks against promoted Burnley on 2 September.
He has been with Tottenham Hotspur since 2015, when he joined for a reported fee of £22million, and has scored 148 goals in a total of 378 appearances. His best season in the English Premier League was in 2021-22, when he achieved 23 goals and 9 assists in 35 matches, winning the Golden Boot.
In related development:
Postecoglou relishes the opportunity to test his young Tottenham side at the Emirates
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s North London Derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, the manager said: “I can’t wait for the opportunity to put my young team to the test against such a well-organised Arsenal outfit.”
It’s no secret that Sunday’s derby is one of the most eagerly anticipated days of the football calendar in the capital, and it’s no different for Spurs. The new generation of Spurs stars will take to the pitch at the Emirates Stadium to face their old rivals, Arsenal, for the first time this season.
Spurs’ new manager has taken the challenge of developing a young and dynamic squad to a whole new level, and Saturday’s derby will be no exception.
Postecoglou sees the derby as a golden opportunity for his young players to develop and learn.
The youthful energy and fearless style of play of Vicario, Maddison, Udogie and Van de Ven will be up to the challenge as they make their debuts in one of the most passionate derbies in English football. Their youthful energy could prove a valuable asset to Tottenham in such high-stakes clashes, and this could just tip the scales in their favour.
It’s not just the youngsters who will be getting their first taste of the limelight, Spurs’ leadership group has changed too. Gone are Eric Dier, Pierre-Emerick Guler and Joao Moutinho, who were once key players in the team, and in their place is a new generation of players.
Paulo Postecoglou has every reason to be optimistic ahead of the north London derby. The Australian manager’s philosophy is based on the idea that “growth and development comes through the face-to-face confrontation.”
“Again, this is the experience I want the guys to have and for us to have as a group to help us grow. It is the only way you grow. You don’t grow by literally being in the shade. You need to stick your head up and see the sun and allow yourself to grow even if it means at times that experience isn’t a great one, because you can grow from that”
It’s often said that ‘growth comes from adversity’, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to the North London Derby – the ultimate test for the young and rising stars of the footballing world.
It’s a rivalry that’s steeped in tradition and history, and it creates an atmosphere and a level of intensity that few other rivalries can match.
That’s why Tottenham will be eager to make a statement against Arsenal today, and if they can do that, people will start to talk about the team more.
Let’s take a look at how it might go.