Unlike the criticism from British media, Son Heung-min (Tottenham) remains the best winger in the Premier League.

Football London's Alasdair Gold excluded Son Heung-min while naming 7 players expected to leave Tottenham this summer.

The 7 players mentioned by Gold for release are Richarlison, Timo Werner, Bryan Gil, Yves Bissouma, Sergio Reguilon, Fraser Forster, and Alfie Whiteman. Among these, Forster and Whiteman are goalkeepers. Gil is currently on loan to Girona in Spain's La Liga. Richarlison, Werner, Bissouma, and Reguilon are playing in the first team squad.

While there are players who could be released, there are also some surprising names. Richarlison, a former national team player from Brazil who was brought in by Tottenham at a hefty price, and Bissouma, who had been a regular in the first half of this season, stand out among those expected to leave.

In contrast, Son Heung-min was excluded. Two defenders, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, known to be targets for big clubs, were also omitted from the list.

The Times reported, "Tottenham wants to keep Son Heung-min as one of the best players in the club's history through a contract renewal, but negotiations are facing difficulties as Son Heung-min shows a skeptical attitude toward an extension."

ESPN noted, "Both Son Heung-min and Salah were born within a 3-week interval in the summer of 1992. They are both legendary figures in their respective clubs. However, while one had the best season of his life, leading Liverpool as a dominant contender for the Premier League (PL) title, the other is questioning his 'untouchable' status at Tottenham for the first time in his life."

Currently, questions are being raised about Son Heung-min's condition.

On the 1st, ESPN published an article titled, "What went wrong for Son Heung-min? What is the future of Son Heung-min at Tottenham?"

Born in 1992, Son Heung-min is showing a markedly different trajectory compared to his peer Mohamed Salah this season.

Both Son Heung-min and Salah are regarded as legendary figures at Tottenham and Liverpool, respectively, but they are recording completely different results this season.

Salah is making this season the best of his career and leading Liverpool's Premier League title challenge. In contrast, Son Heung-min is facing a moment of instability in his position at Tottenham for the first time.

Son Heung-min has recorded 10 goals and 10 assists this season, achieving double-digit scoring for the 9th consecutive season. Notably, Son Heung-min has a total of 126 goals and 71 assists in 326 Premier League matches, becoming the 11th player in history to achieve 70 goals and 70 assists.

On the surface, the performance is not bad. However, there are assessments that his overall influence on the team is declining.

TeamTalk highlighted the futures of four Tottenham players facing contract expirations in 2026 and shared opinions on each player.

The four players were Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Bryan Gil.

TeamTalk claimed that Son Heung-min and Bentancur should be retained, but the conditions they proposed for Son Heung-min were absurd.

TeamTalk explained, "Even if he is sold this summer, the likelihood of receiving a large transfer fee is low. Son Heung-min will turn 33 in July, and his performance is on the decline."

They continued, "He remains very popular in the locker room and can play a useful role under the Postecoglou regime as a rotational member."

However, they argued, "Tottenham needs better leadership on the field going forward, so it would be advisable for him to step down as captain. This is because the team tends to crumble easily when the game does not go as desired."

They added, "Considering this, it would be reasonable for Tottenham to allow Son Heung-min to leave the team as a free agent in summer 2026 and receive a transfer bonus from a new team. Having recorded 172 goals and 94 assists in 444 matches, he is deserving of that."

If he renews his contract with Tottenham, a salary cut will inevitably follow due to a reduced role.

Son Heung-min is shaken both on and off the field this season. On the pitch, he has recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 36 matches due to the effects of a hamstring injury and a grueling schedule. He has not scored in his last 9 matches. The statistics are not bad, but because it’s Son Heung-min, there are voices of criticism.

His future at Tottenham is uncertain. Son Heung-min was originally set to see his contract expire at the end of this season. However, instead of signing a new long-term deal, Tottenham hastily activated a one-year extension option last January. This has led to speculation that Son Heung-min might leave the team this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur News reported on the 1st, "Son Heung-min's future could be decided in the coming weeks," adding that "if Son Heung-min, who is rumored to be transferring to Bayern Munich, leaves, it would be in a blessing after a decade of dedication."

It was not considered shocking news. It is a situation that could well occur despite Son Heung-min's transfer. This transfer rumor concerns a move to Bayern Munich. However, Football London, familiar with the inner workings of Tottenham, is drawing lines on the transfer rumor, suggesting that the situation is settling down.

Unlike Tottenham's assessment, Son Heung-min is still powerful.

Transfermarkt, a website specializing in the football transfer market, introduced the best 11 players with the most attacking points by position in the Premier League as of the current 2024-2025 season on the 26th of last month. Son Heung-min proudly made the list as a left winger.

In a 4-4-2 formation, Son Heung-min recorded a total of 15 attacking points (6 goals and 9 assists) as a left winger.

"The player's position was selected based on where he played the most this season," it was stated.

The right winger is currently Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) with 42 attacking points (25 goals and 17 assists), followed by Erling Haaland (Manchester City) at the forefront with 22 points (20 goals and 2 assists) and Alexander Isak (Newcastle United) with 24 points (19 goals and 5 assists).

This is evidence that Son Heung-min is still the best player in the Premier League among left forwards.

However, Son Heung-min is ranked 5th in the league's assist standings with 9 assists. Salah is in a commanding 1st place with 17 assists, while Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) form the second tier with 10 assists.

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