Tottenham Hotspur’s Heung-min Son will “want to help Tottenham bounce back” in the Premier League next season, believes transfer insider Dean Jones.
The winger has recently been linked with a move to the free-spending Saudi Pro League, but Jones gets the impression that he will want to remain in North London and help the club rediscover its form next year.
What is going on with Heung-min Son at Tottenham?
Reports from journalist Ben Jacobs revealed last week that the South Korean international is a transfer target for the Middle Eastern league and “legwork” is “already underway” on a potential deal.
The “world-class” winger, as described by former manager Antonio Conte, has struggled to find form this season, scoring just 10 goals in the league.
However, with just two years left on his current deal, any move away from N17 won’t be cheap, with Transfermarkt valuing the 6 foot forward at €60m (£51m).
Despite the clear connection between the Chuncheon-born player and Spurs faithful, a bumper pay packet could tempt him away from European football, especially since he will be turning 31 this year, and retirement could be on his mind.
With his current wages estimated to be £192k-per-week, the example of Karim Benzema earning a massive £200m a season might be just too alluring.
What did transfer insider Dean Jones say about the stories linking Heung-min Son with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur?
Jones gets the impression that despite the links away from the club, especially the ones to recent headline makers, the Saudi Pro League, Son will want to remain with the Lilywhites for at least another year.
Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: “I’d be surprised if he went there. He’s not the sort of player that’s just looking for a payday he’s been very committed to Tottenham.
“I think he’s going to continue to be important to them next season. I think he’ll want to help Tottenham bounce back from that disappointing season.”
Has Heung-min Son’s season really been as bad as everyone seems to think?
There is no denying that the South Korean’s season in the Premier League has been somewhat underwhelming compared to previous years.
However, you’d think from the way people talk about the player that he has been cataclysmically bad, which isn’t the case.
According to WhoScored, the former Leverkusen man has averaged a fairly respectable rating of 6.95 across his 33 games in the league.
His performances in Europe have also been fairly consistent, seeing him earn an average rating of 6.8 across eight games in the Champions League.
His underlying numbers were also better than expected.
According to FBref, who compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, Son was still within the top 16% for non-penalty expected goals per 90, despite his slender return in the league.
With all that considered, it might be fairer to view this season as simply a dip in form, one he should recover from.
