There was another news that Son Heung-min was receiving attention from Atletico Madrid.
"Son Heung-min, Tottenham's historic player, may face the last chapter of his brilliant era," said Spain's Pizza Hess on the 21st (Korea time). 32-year-old Son Heung-min has scored seven goals and six assists in 19 games this season, continuing to show that his class and talent remain. However, with the end of his contract with Tottenham in 2025, Son's future is being closely watched. One of the clubs that showed interest in recruiting Son Heung-min is Atletico who will cherish his arrival under favorable conditions.
Pizza Hess claimed Son Heung-min may consider a change after this season. The media said, `There is no doubt that Son Heung-min's legend at Tottenham. The striker, who has scored 169 goals in 427 games, has become an icon of the club and an example of Asian soccer around the world. Finishing the game, Son's ability to pose a threat in any attacking position has kept him at the heart of Tottenham for 10 years. Now, Hun Son Heung-min, who has spent a long time in England, is unlikely to seek change.
The reason why Atletico are interested in Son Heung-min was that Son Heung-min still has the highest level of competitiveness, and crucially, Son Heung-min meets the conditions of Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
Pizzahes says "Atletico's interest comes from the need to recruit the highest level of offensive talent to aim to compete at the highest level in all competitions. Son's quality and elite experience are perfectly in line with the demands of Atletico coach Diego SimeoneHe explained that Simeone wants to recruit Son Heung-min.
However, the recruitment method that Atletico wanted was that Son Heung-min should be a free agent. The media outlet said, `The economic situation will be important because Atletico expect Son to become a free agent and complete the recruitment, which may not otherwise be feasible. Son's future is uncertain for now, but what is clear will be a team that can confirm his ambition to continue to be a decisive player on the international stage, whatever his next destination is" he concluded.
This is not the first time that Son Heung-min has been transferred to Atletico. In September, England's cutoff side reportedly announced that Tottenham captain Son Heung-min will be out of contract with the North London club in 2025, and Atletico are reportedly monitoring the 32-year-old Son's situation. Atletico are keeping an eye on the situation of the English Premier League (EPL) star in Tottenham and have Son on the target list ahead of the 2025 transfer window," it reported.
At the time, cutoffside said `Son Heung-min's future has yet to be determined, and it is said that he could stay with Tottenham for much longer. Unofficial talks, however, took place between Atletico and the player's agent as Atletico wanted to clarify their interest. Atletico know they will compete with Saudi clubs who have shown interest in Son Heung-min from the past. Son's current plan is to remain in EuropeHe also said that Atletico and Son Heung-min have already made contact.
If the news that Atlético wants Son Heung-min is true, there is no reason for Son Heung-min to refuse. Atletico is a big club recognized in Spain's La Liga after Real Madrid and Barcelona.
With the appointment of Simeone, the current body of Atlético, the team began to show excellent competitiveness in La Liga. Under Simeone, he also reached the UEFA Champions League (UCL) final twice. He also won the UEFA Europa League (UEL) and dominated La Liga when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were present. In the 2020-2021 season, he showed off his robustness by winning the league again.
After COVID-19, Atletico's financial capacity has been shaken up for a while, but in the 2024-2025 season, Simeone's Atletico are on their way back to winning the league. Winning this season looks like it's possible enough.
Based on strong defense, Simeone plays soccer that suffocates the opponent through quick offense and defense conversion. Son Heung-min, who has speed and determination, is expected to be able to adapt well to Simeone's soccer. It is a team that can always challenge to win the championship and is not too worried about advancing to the UCL, so if Son Heung-min wants to develop his career, it would be better to move to Atletico than Tottenham.
Currently, the main pillars of Atletico's attacks are Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez, and Alexander Seurlot. A combination of Son Heung-min, who can add speed to this, is expected to form a stronger offense.
Spain's transfer is tricky due to non-European player restrictions (Non-EU), but Atletico currently have no players falling under the Non-EU rules except Samuel Linu and Nauel Molina. The regulations will not hamper the recruitment of Son Heung-min at all.
The key is the contract period between Son Heung-min and Tottenham. Tottenham currently have a clause that allows Son to extend his contract by one year and will trigger it. If Son Heung-min's contract is extended by one year, the other team has to pay a transfer fee to recruit him next summer. Negotiations with Tottenham are very tricky, so it could be a sufficient variable.
It is also important to note that it is not yet reliable information. Pichahes, which reported Son Heung-min's transfer to Atletico this time, has recently reported that Son Heung-min is receiving attention from Real. Since it is a medium that mainly deals with the transfer theory 'Chirashi', it is necessary to see if Atletico's interest is true.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
