Don’t let that ‘boy next door’ smile fool you, behind Son Heung-min’s humble visage lies a ferociously ambitious athlete, a man who, despite previously suggesting he’d be happy to retire at Tottenham Hotspur, would have few qualms about taking a leaf out of Harry Kane’s book if he felt he could no longer achieve his goals in north London.
At 29, Son is approaching his peak.
And, with just two years left on his contract, the South Korean superstar is rapidly approaching a time when a decision will have to be made.
And it will be a decision that could define the rest of his footballing career as new sporting director Fabio Paratici looks to tie ‘Sonny’ down to a long-term deal.
According to 90Min, clubs showing an interest in Son are a who’s who of European giants – Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
And it’s hard to imagine a player better suited to Jurgen Klopp’s all-action style than Son, even if the Reds boss has toned down his ‘heavy metal football’ in favour of something more chilled out and radio friendly. Less Nimrod and more 21st Century Breakdown.
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Klopp is a long-time admirer.
When a 20-year-old Son decided the time was right to jump from the eternally sinking ship that is Hamburg in 2013, Dortmund were in for him like a shot, identifying the baby-faced speed-machine as a potential successor to Bayern-bound Robert Lewandowski.
“I wanted to stay in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen and Dortmund wanted me,” Son would say, explaining why he chose Bayer over Borussia.
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“Both teams play in the Champions League but I thought Dortmund would use rotation more than Leverkusen. That’s why I chose Leverkusen over Dortmund. It’s really important to play regularly at my age.”
Almost a decade on, Son would be thinking along similar lines if he did decide the time was right for a new adventure.
With Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota already plying their trade at Anfield, you’d think Klopp would have to sell one of his fab four to make room for a man who, after Kane, is surely the second name on Tottenham’s team sheet these days.
It’s not all bad news for those already world-weary Spurs supporters, however. So far, there has been nothing to suggest Son will demand a move any time soon.
Should that day come, however, one of Europe’s most potent forwards wouldn’t be short of offers.
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