Is money the only problem after all? It has been argued that the issue of renewal of contract between Son Heung-min (32), the “captain,” and Tottenham Hotspur has caused a conflict.
“Tottenham is in serious trouble with Son Heung-min. He is one of the biggest stars in the Premier League and is not satisfied. Son does not like Tottenham’s offer,” Spain’s Pichahes said on Wednesday.
The media said, “Korean striker Son Heung-min is not having the best moment in his relationship with Tottenham Boardjin. According to British media, Tottenham captain does not agree with the contract renewal proposal that the club put on the negotiation table.”
The two sides have different opinions over the terms of the negotiations. “The complaint (from Son) is that Tottenham is planning to extend the contract under the current conditions. Considering that Son has displayed outstanding performance, I think these conditions are not enough,” Pichahes said.
The media went on to say, “Son Heung-min has made an outstanding performance for Tottenham in recent years. He believes that his commitment and performance deserve better contracts, both in terms of duration and salary. However, as reported, it seems that Tottenham board members are unilaterally trying to invoke the clause in order to extend their contracts without adjusting their salary. Son has become tense because he expected greater recognition from an economic point of view.”
Currently, Son Heung-min is close to extending his contract with Tottenham by one year. Since last summer, news has been reported that Tottenham will trigger an extension option, centering on The Athletic. Previously, the prevailing observation was that Tottenham would propose a new multi-year contract, but the trend changed in an instant.
Earlier this month, the Telegraph reported the same story. “Tottenham will invoke the one-year extension option on Son’s contract to have him dedicate his future to the club again next season. The two sides signed the contract in 2021, which expires in seven months. However, Tottenham reportedly has the authority to extend the contract for another year.”
Son’s consent is not required. “Tottenham just needs to let Son know that they have activated the option. And they are totally committed to doing so,” the Telegraph newspaper said. “In other words, Son will join Tottenham for a transfer fee of 22 million pounds (39.3 billion won) from Leverkusen in 2015 and will continue for more than 10 years.”
Son Heung-min is also drawing up a future with Tottenham. Florian Flettenberg, a reporter for Sky Sports Germany, said, “There is a growing possibility that Son will stay at Tottenham for another year. Tottenham seems to have an option to extend his contract until 2026. Almost everything is decided. Son Heung-min, a 32-year-old world-class winger, also wants to stay at 비아그라.”
However, this is a one-year story. Even if the contract is extended, it will be concluded with the end of summer 2026. This means that from June next year, there will be a flurry of speculations about Son’s future again.
Of course, Son has always shown his loyalty to Tottenham. In an interview with BBC in August, Son said, “I want to be called a legend. I think it’s a good effort to play for a team for 10 years. I have to be consistent and give something back to the club. I don’t think I’m a legend of this team yet. I once said I wanted to win something with Tottenham. Then I will be very happy to be called a legend. I joined Tottenham to win a trophy.”
Son has not changed his mind since then. “I don’t know the future in soccer,” he said at a fan forum held in September. “I still have a contract with Tottenham, and it’s been almost 10 years since I played here. You can’t imagine how happy I am here.”
Son also reiterated that he wants to remain a legend of Tottenham. “One thing I can tell you is that I am focusing only on this season. What I want is a championship,” Son said. “When I leave Tottenham one day, everyone will smile and call me a legend.”
The problem is Tottenham’s idea. Contrary to expectations, Tottenham is not actively renewing their contracts with Son. In fact, Son himself said in September that he did not talk about renewing his contract.
There were even claims that Tottenham suddenly broke the initial agreement. According to Football Insider, the two sides reached an agreement at first, but Tottenham notified them that they had no plans to change their mind and discuss a new contract. This shocked Son Heung-min.
The most likely reason is money. In order not to raise Son’s salary at Tottenham, they have decided to replace him with a one-year extension. Paul O’Keefe, who is familiar with Tottenham’s internal news, hinted that Chairman Daniel Levy does not want to increase his salary in order to make the club as attractive as possible to potential investors.
In the end, a problem seems to have arisen at this point. “Son Heung-min, who is the key to Tottenham’s recent success, has demonstrated his quality and leadership both inside and outside the stadium. However, as negotiations have not progressed, rumors about his future and the possibility of a transfer have been raised,” Pichahes said. “Tottenham is now under pressure to resolve conflicts with the most important person. Fans hope to reach an agreement that will make its captain Heung-min happy and focus on the team’s goals.”