Tottenham fans were furious when Son Heung-Min was linked with a move away from North London this week, and his World Cup performance against Germany showed why keeping him should be Mauricio Pochettino’s top priority.
A lot has been made of the probable departures of Toby Alderweireld and Mousa Dembele this summer, but keeping Son could be the most important piece of business Tottenham do.
While Pochettino will no doubt want to buff up his paper thin midfield if Dembele goes, Son’s performance on Wednesday showed he could save the club a lot of money in another problem area.
One of the biggest issues during Pochettino’s reign is that the manager has been unable to find adequate support for Harry Kane, which forced him to experiment with Son as a striker at times last season, and has resulted in multiple ankle injuries for Kane.
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Fans voted heavily in favour of signing a new striker when polled last month, but Son’s World Cup performances for South Korea certainly beg the question – do Spurs need another striker?
Pochettino has invested heavily in the positions in and around Kane, and he now has five or six top quality players that can rotate into those three attacking spots in a 4-2-3-1, so there is plenty of depth behind Son if he filled in at striker.
Playing as an extremely isolated front man for South Korea, the 25 year-old registered five shots against Germany, completed 89 per cent of his passes, and struck fear into the German defenders with three dazzling dribbles.
He also won two aerial duels, something that Fernando Llorente was brought in to offer, and Son eventually got the famous goal his performance deserved when he broke away to put his side up 2-0.
Those stats aren’t the best Son has ever posted in a match, but to put in such a shift despite being completely isolated for most of the match shows he has what it takes to be a truly top quality striker, not just a half decent back up.
With Vincent Janssen set to return from an injury-hit loan spell and Kane firing away in the World Cup, having all three players in North London next season should stave off Pochettino’s desire for another striker, and allow funds to be reinvested in replacements for the likes of Dembele and Alderweireld.
There is a real fear that Son may be forced to leave the club to fulfil mandatory military service, but he wouldn’t be the first player to get out of it due to his sporting exploits.
So, Tottenham fans, do you think Son and Janssen will be adequate support for Kane? Do you need another striker? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
