After 10 memorable years at Tottenham Hotspur, South Korean football icon Son Heung-min has decided to bring his Spurs chapter to a close, leaving behind a modern-day legacy that has cemented him as one of the club’s most beloved figures.
Arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, Son went on to make 454 appearances and score 173 goals for Tottenham, helping the club reach both a UEFA Champions League final (2019) and a UEFA Europa League final, lifting the latter as captain in May 2025.
Still under contract until 2026, Son is now in advanced talks with Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC, which could see him reunite with former teammate Hugo Lloris. Speaking alongside new Spurs manager Thomas Frank, Son admitted the decision was “the most difficult” of his career.
“I came to north London as a kid — a young boy who didn’t even speak English,” Son said. “Leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment.”
Tottenham’s pre-season tour has brought them to Seoul, where they will face Newcastle United on August 3. Son is set to captain the side for the final time at the Seoul World Cup Stadium — a fitting send-off in his homeland. Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in June, called Son “a true Spurs legend,” adding, “If this is Sonny’s last game, what a place to do it — here in front of his home fans. It could be a beautiful ending.”
While Spurs are due to face reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on August 13, Son may have already completed his move by then.
During his nine full Premier League seasons, Son became one of English football’s most consistent and lethal forwards. He made 333 league appearances and scored 127 goals, ranking joint-16th in the competition’s all-time scoring list alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and ahead of the likes of Dwight Yorke, Steven Gerrard, and Ian Wright.
His iconic partnership with Harry Kane yielded a Premier League record 47 goal combinations, with Son scoring 24 of those and Kane 23. Between the 2020–21 and 2021–22 campaigns alone, they linked up 21 times for goals — an unmatched two-year stretch in league history.
Son broke new ground for Asian footballers, becoming the first from the continent to win the Premier League Golden Boot in 2021–22 (shared with Mohamed Salah on 23 goals) and the first to reach 100 Premier League goals a year later.
Appointed captain in August 2023, Son also delivered as a creator, producing 101 assists in all competitions, including a club-record 71 in the Premier League. He leaves Tottenham with the sixth-most appearances in club history, behind only Cyril Knowles, Pat Jennings, Gary Mabbutt, Steve Perryman, and Glenn Hoddle.
“I need a new environment to push myself. Ten years is a long time,” Son said. “I’ve thought about this decision over and over again. I want to experience football in a different way.”
Son departs Tottenham not just as a record-setter and trailblazer for Asian players in Europe, but as a symbol of loyalty, skill, and determination — a player whose impact on Spurs and on millions of fans across Asia will endure long after his final appearance in Lilywhite.