Mauricio Pochettino reveals he made several attempts to sign Son Heung-min | OneFootball

Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that he tried to buy Son Heung-min twice before the South Korean made the move to Tottenham in 2015.

Son joined Spurs for around £22m from Bayer Leverkusen just after the 2015/16 season started and has gone on to become a pivotal figure in the club's history.

The forward played under Pochettino for four-and-a-half years in north London, notably stepping up in their run to the 2019 Champions League final. Speaking to BBC Sport, the Argentine admitted that he wanted to sign Son while at Southampton and then immediately once he joined Tottenham in 2014.

"When I arrived at Southampton I worked with [sporting director] Paul Mitchell, we started to follow him [Son]. We met him, his father and agent. It was impossible because he was still really young…he wanted to continue in Germany for a few years," Pochettino said.

"Rather than Southampton, he moved to Leverkusen. When I moved to Tottenham, one of the first things we did was try to bring him in."

🔗 Spotify

Harry Symeou hosts Jack Gallagher and Toby Cudworth to look back on Germany '06 as part of the 'Our World Cup' series. We take a trip down memory lane - join us!

Pochettino was then asked if Son was the greatest signing in his managerial career, to which he replied: "Maybe! Maybe him, it’s possible. It was complicated and tough his first season. It was a massive change from Germany. He’s a family person, he needs family around.

"His first training session, his father watched from the balcony [at Hotspur Way training ground]. We finished, the father was controlling, one eye on me, one on him! His father was very strict with him. But a few days after, he said ‘I’m so happy with the way you train my son and the training session’. Phew!"