The Lilywhites skipper Son Heung-Min has been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after what was a widely discussed (in media and by fans) and delayed contract extension option at Hotspur Way. The South Korean ace has been attributed to a high-profile move away when the summer window comes around, with many clubs eyeing to sign him in a bargain deal from Spurs in the offseason.

The North Londoners have been enduring an underwhelming season, and so has Son, which has seen him struggling to replicate his performances that earned him the reputation of being one of the most potential wide forwards in Premier League modern history and an icon at Spurs. He has neither been getting into dangerous spaces nor dribbling his way into spaces to create for others, and this is a concern—particularly for a player who relies a lot on his tenacity, pace, and elegance to help his team.

This raises a question (more of a thought)—is his form on pitch a replication of what went on behind the scenes?

That Son Heung-Min contract delay…

Son entered into the season with an expiring contract on his head, and while he is not one of the players who would make a massive fuss about it, all the supporters at N17 were sweating over the possibility of losing their icon. But that wasn’t to happen as the club held an option to extend his contract by a further year. Though kudos to Levy and the chiefs at Tottenham, they went deep and only extended his stay in January, when Son was free to negotiate a free agreement with other clubs.

While that wouldn’t have played a significant role on paper, Son was reportedly disappointed that Spurs didn’t want to enter into negotiations for the new contract and instead chose to trigger the one-year option in his existing deal. This has led to speculations that he would depart North London in the off-season…

He may end up staying at N17 beyond summer

But there have been new reports emerging, ones that suggest that the leadership at N17 wants the 32-year-old to retire at Hotspur Way to further cement his legacy as an icon donning that Spurs badge. Though are Tottenham to play Russian roulette with their star player yet again? The decision to delay contract negotiations can well be seen as a gamble, one that risks the potential of losing a player, and not just any one but Son, the player who has been instrumental to everything Tottenham since he moved to N17 in 2015.

That being said, if his current form continues, it may raise questions of whether Son can still be the player he once was…

Ange backs Son

And Postecoglou does think that Son can go on for a while. The Australian head coach spoke of Son & longevity recently, where he said:

“You never want to try to predict with players like Sonny how long he will go for, because those kinds of players always defy whatever odds there are because of the way they look after themselves and conduct themselves. Even this year, as difficult as it has been for us, I think his numbers still stack up. You weigh him up against any winger in the league; he’s still going to be top five.

“He’s probably been top five in the nine or 10 years he’s been here. Not many would rank with Sonny in terms of output on a consistent basis from his position. He’s in the top 10% of players in his position in the Premier League.

“Those are the facts, and if he’s continuing to do that, there’s nothing to say he should slow down.”

Will Spurs risk another contract gamble?

Now, John Wenham, owner of the reputed Spurs podcast Lilywhites Rose, spoke in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News where he suggested that the club could again go deep into the year before sitting down with Son to extend any probable contract. He said:

“From everything I hear, Son is incredibly happy at Tottenham. They’ve got this deal in place now, which runs until the end of next season. Therefore, I think this situation will run its course for a little while.

“We probably won’t hear anything until December at the end of this year, ahead of January when Son would be able to discuss pre-contracts with other clubs. Therefore, as I said, I think this will run its course for a while.”

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Do you think Levy will again dig deep into the year before taking the decision on Son’s contract? And do you think that is a wise thing to do given how he can thrive in a comfortable environment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.