Transfer Centre

Tottenham Hotspur 'to trigger one-year extension in Son Heung-min contract'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 22 September 2023

Spurs 'to trigger one-year extension in Son Heung-min contract'

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly plan to activate a one-year extension option in the contract of Son Heung-min, who is currently due to become a free agent in 2025.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to trigger a one-year extension option in the contract of captain Son Heung-min.

The South Korea international - who also dons the armband for his country - has been hailed as one of the Premier League's leading attackers since joining the Lilywhites from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

Son has now found the back of the net on 148 occasions for Tottenham, putting him sixth in the club's all-time scoring charts, and he has netted more times for the club than any other non-British player.

The 31-year-old took home a share of the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2022-23 season alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, becoming the first Asian player to get his hands on the prize.

In addition, Son has provided 80 assists in his 378 appearances for Tottenham, and despite a slightly underwhelming 2022-23 season, he was appointed captain of the club this summer by Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their fourth goal with teammate Manor Solomon on September 2, 2023 © Reuters

With Hugo Lloris falling down the pecking order and Harry Kane signing for Bayern Munich, Son was bestowed with the armband, while James Maddison and Cristian Romero were appointed vice-captains.

So far this season, Son has come up with three goals in five Premier League games - all of which came in a 5-2 win over Burnley at Turf Moor - and his current Tottenham deal is due to expire in 2025.

A recent report stated that Tottenham had begun negotiations with the former Leverkusen attacker over a new contract, but according to The Telegraph, the club are instead looking to activate an extension in his existing deal.

Back in the summer of 2021, Son renewed his Tottenham terms for another four years, but his deal is now believed to include an option to keep him on the books until 2026, by which time he will be 34 years old.

The outlet adds that Spurs have not yet triggered the extension and are unlikely to do in the near future, but all parties eventually expect his one-year option to be activated.

Son Heung-min celebrates scoring for Tottenham Hotspur on October 12, 2022 © Reuters

In fact, the Lilywhites could even wait until the end of the season before tying Son down for another season, as senior figures at the club are "so relaxed" about the situation and want the attacker to focus purely on football for the rest of the campaign.

Tottenham have seemingly been motivated to secure Son's future after reluctantly allowing Kane to join Bayern after the England captain had entered the final year of his contract in North London.

Kane showed no intention of penning fresh terms, leading Daniel Levy to begrudgingly sell his star striker to the German champions in order to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2024.

On Sunday, Son will captain Spurs in a North London derby for the first time when the Lilywhites meet Arsenal at the Emirates, and he has come up with five goals and five assists against the Gunners in the past.

Tottenham are thriving on the attacking front under Postecoglou, who has confirmed that he will not compromise on his principles during Sunday's derby.