BREAKING: Son Heung-min Breaks Silence On Joining Saudi Arabia Club This Summer—Tottenham superstar Son Heung-min has admitted he turned down the chance to move to Saudi Arabia this summer in favour of staying in the Premier League.
The Middle Eastern country has been the talk of the transfer window, after attrracting some of the biggest names in football including Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante.
Meanwhile, Liverpool duo Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have both been rumoured with moves to the Saudi Pro League, with Henderson having reportedly ‘verbally agreed’ a contract with Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq.
Son has since revealed he was also the subject of interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, hinting that he was offered a hefty pay rise. However, the 31-year-old decided against a move, believing he has unfinished business in the Premier League.
“If I wanted to go there, I would not be here!’ Son exclaimed in a press conference during Tottenham’s pre-season tour of Australia.
“I love playing football. Obviously money is also important but I dream for playing (in the) Premier League.”
Son admitted he was “really interested” by the sheer amount of players who were opting to move to the Middle East, with Ruben Neves another name to have made the popular switch from England, joining Al-Hilal from Wolves last month.
But Son reiterated his commitment to Tottenham, confirming he has no intention of leaving England just yet.
“Most people are going (to Saudi Arabia) at the moment which is really, really interesting, but the Premier League is still a dream for me to play for it, so I’m looking forward to this season,” he added.
The South Korea international joined Tottenham in 2015 and has since established himself as a fans’ favourite, scoring an impressive 145 goals in 372 appearances for the north London club.
He won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2021/22, finishing joint-top scorer alongside Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah on 23 goals each.
However, the former Bayer Leverkusen winger experienced an uncharacteristic dip in form last season, managing a measly 10 league goals by his high standards, with Tottenham finishing outside the European places.
Son has subsequently lifted the lid on the fitness issues he faced last term, revealing he played through injury for nine months.
After undergoing hernia surgery at the end of the season, Son is desperate to put the past 12 months behind him and prove that he remains one of the Premier League’s most dangerous players under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
“Last season I really suffered physically. I want to prove this season that I’m the Sonny that we all know,” he said.