Although the majority of the major chances Tottenham Hotspur made this past summer transfer window were for the better and have already turned their fortunes in the Premier League and Champions League, Spurs may be regretting the decision to wave goodbye to Son Heung-min.
The club legend did leave on his own terms with a year left in his contract, riding off into the sunset with a transfer to MLS club LAFC for a rather minimal fee of 26 million dollars. (That being said, 26 million dollars is a record deal for an MLS transfer.)
Spurs fans expected the club to replace their biggest legend with a left winger of adequate current value and with world-class upside. Players like Ademola Lookman and Savinho were linked, but, ultimately, Tottenham didn't sign any wingers after the Mohammed Kudus transfer and only brought in a striker, Randal Kolo Muani, on loan at deadline day.
So Tottenham sold their leading goal contributor of the 2024/25 season and their club captain, and they did not replace him with anyone at the same position. With the caveat that, yes, it is only MLS, Son is playing so well for LAFC that perhaps Tottenham should have given him that one last year under Thomas Frank to bridge the new era.
Tottenham don't have a left winger
Son just scored a brilliant hat-trick in LAFC's 4-1 win over Real Salt Lake, bringing his season tally up to five goals and an assist in six appearances (five starts). But beyond the goals, Son has been incredible all-around and is neck-and-neck with Lionel Messi as the biggest influencer in MLS. He is averaging a whopping 2.7 key passes and 3.0 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn.
Again, if he were in the Premier League, nobody would expect his numbers to be this brilliant. But if Son were even providing half of that production in England, he would be the team's most effective left winger and would give Spurs a legitimate top attacking trident.
Instead, in lieu of better options on the left wing, Tottenham have been forced to start new signing Xavi Simons in that position, and this is holding back the midfielder from being at his best. Simons is a 10 and not a winger, and he's never really played in this position, which is a harm to him and the team.
Meanwhile, if Tottenham kept Son, they could have benefited from his presence and experience. If anything slowed him down in the 2024/25 season, then it was Ange Postecoglou's incompetent tactics, which included forcing Son to play wider, rather than closer to goal. And it certainly didn't help that Son was overworked and playing through injury in the second half of the season.
Reports of Son's demise were too premature, and, in any case, he was still Spurs leader in Premier League goal contributions last season. A better team and an outside shot at the Premier League title, plus one more year of Son Heung-min on a personal level, would have been worth at least the 26 million dollars obtained for him, especially if it meant actually having a real left winger and not having to hold back a marquee signing out wide.