The rumors linking legendary left winger Son Heung-min with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur have mostly quieted in recent weeks, but Spurs supporters know full and well that the South Korean superstar could be destined to leave this summer with just one year left on his contract.
There is no indication that Daniel Levy and Tottenham will try to push Son to go, and it is important for the captain and clug icon to be able to walk away on his own terms. Since Tottenham won the Europa League in historic fashion with Son as captain and just fired Ange Postecoglou to signify another era for the club, it may be a natural point for Sonny to exit.
Son can cash in one major paycheck before retiring if he moves abroad, and, so far, the kinds of clubs interested are the ones you'd expect to be in on a soon-to-be 33-year-old forward coming off a declining season.
Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in Turkey have both been linked, and now MLS clubs in the United States are beginning to make the rounds as potential landing spots for the former Champions League Finalist.
MLS are still loading up on European stars
According to a report from TBR Football's Graeme Bailey and Jamie Brown, MLS club LAFC have held talks with Son regarding a potential move this summer.
LAFC are one of the biggest clubs in the United States and have signed several high-profile players from top European clubs in recent years. Currently, the Black and Gold Falcons have former Tottenham legend Hugo Lloris in goal. Winger Javairo Dilrosun, formerly of Hertha Berlin and Feyenoord, is another LAFC player with a European pedigree, though he is on loan from Liga MX's Club America.
Clearly, LAFC have the money to acquire Son, and they are as ambitious as ever at landing big stars from Europe, given the likes of Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez have set up shop as the Barcelona Retirement Tribute Band in Miami.
It's anyone's guess as to what Son will want to do next season, and there's a case to be made for and against the nearly 33-year-old staying. By staying, Son can help the team with leadership and quality in the Champions League, but leaving would give the club some money and allow them to get a head start on replacing the legend, perhaps with Mathys Tel stepping into the starting role full-time.