Tottenham praised for ‘honouring’ Son choice with MLS move | OneFootball

Son Heung-min is close to completing his transfer to Los Angeles FC for a record-breaking MLS fee of $26.5 million (£20m), ending his 10-year tenure with Tottenham Hotspur.

The move comes just days after the South Korean captain announced his imminent departure from Spurs on August 2nd, citing the need for “a new environment for a fresh challenge”.

Tottenham Support for Son’s Personal Choice

Son had interest from Saudi Arabie before deciding on a move to the USA. The 33-year-old attended LAFC’s home Leagues Cup win against Tigres on Tuesday. His signing is due to be announced this week.

Despite the financial implications, Keith Wyness, who served as CEO at Everton between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs, praised Tottenham’s handling of the situation. He suggested the club prioritised Son’s personal preference over monetary gain.

Speaking on the Football Insider podcast, he explained that Spurs “didn’t stand in Son’s way and allowed him to join LAFC as a parting gift, despite it being less financially beneficial for the club”.

“He’s done great for Spurs. We’ve watched him, he’s been a fabulous goalscorer, a really nice guy and whatever he decides to do, I think Spurs will say, ‘okay, look, you’ve been a great servant, you’ll go with our best wishes,'” Wyness stated.

“It’ll be in his hands and his advisors as to where he’s gonna end up.”

The former CEO stressed that although Tottenham would probably encourage the Saudi move for obvious reasons, the club ultimately honoured Son’s choice to pursue his chosen destination.

This attitude corresponds to Son’s emotional exit message, where he thanked Tottenham for “helping me with this decision” and showed thanks for the club’s backing during his decade-long tenure.

Wyness finished his evaluation by recognising Son’s strategic significance for Saudi Arabian football, adding that “he is the sort of high-profile player the Saudi Pro League still wants in terms of reaching that particular market in Asia, which is a key one for them in terms of growth and credibility.”

But he understood that financial concerns finally came second to Son’s personal decision to join LAFC, most probably influenced by preparations for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

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