“I came to North London as a boy who couldn’t speak English,” began Son Heung-min, “I leave this club as a man.” And just like that, the South Korean international bid his farewell to Tottenham Hotspur after a staunch 10-year-long service. Despite a year remaining on the contract, and so does the will to play at the highest level in Europe, Son still decided to call it quits and prepare for a “new environment for a fresh challenge.” That only ignites a fresh transfer wave around the veteran forward, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano also sharing a crucial update.

For those unaware, the past few days have seen the former Bayer Leverkusen star get linked with a move to Major League Soccer and sign for Los Angeles FC. Initially, there seemed to be no activity until after his emotional farewell message, Romano reported on X in his typical “Here we go” style that a verbal agreement seems to have taken place between both parties.

The renowned journalist also added that Son Heung-min is ready to complete his much-anticipated move to the United States. Talking about some intrinsic details of this deal, though the contract details haven’t been shared much, Romano stated that Tottenham is believed to receive a fee in excess of €15 million ($17.3 million).

In fact, Tottenham hasn’t even traveled back to the UK with the squad that was currently in Seoul, South Korea—about 50 miles west of Chuncheon. The 33-year-old is instead waiting for all the documents to be signed with LAFC. Needless to say, it’s more evident than ever that he is indeed leaving the Premier League for MLS, UEFA Champions League for CONCACAF Champions Cup, and FA & EFL Cup for Leagues Cup

Then again, for what it’s worth, don’t judge the guy. Son himself admitted in his emotional farewell message that leaving the North London side was quite a “difficult decision.” In fact, little does Danny Levy and Co. have also made their peace with the decision. “Respectfully, the club is helping me with this decision,” shared Heung-min.

“The main reason is that I have achieved everything I can at Tottenham,” he explained, revealing that while teammates like Ben Davies were disappointed by his decision to leave, they fully respected and supported it. The 2015, 17, 19, and 21 AFC Asian International Player of the Year admitted his mind was already made up, even though it was tough to keep a smile on the outside while internally coming to terms with saying goodbye to a club he had poured his heart into.

New manager Thomas Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou earlier this summer, had previously described Son Heung-min’s situation as somewhat “tricky.” Still, the former Brentford boss gave his blessing for the forward to move on after a decade of service to the North London club, where Son racked up over 454 appearances, scoring 173 goals and providing 101 assists.

Now, he looks geared up for a fresh MLS chapter, with even ardent LAFC supporters too already welcoming the former SV Hamburg star. Honestly, they should be grateful that Son chose them, considering he will be joining them by having declined an offer that only a few get!

Son Heung-min rejects money for… American dream?

Many called Son Heung-min’s MLS move too good to be true. At least GIVEMESPORT’s Tom Bogert confirmed earlier that “Spurs won’t stand in Son’s way if he chooses to leave.” Nonetheless, the veteran winger is also attracting interest from Saudi Arabia. In addition to a hefty $40 million transfer fee, the Middle Eastern giants are reportedly ready to offer a lucrative deal to the South Korean international.

Of course, this isn’t the first time, as last year, when the transfer talk surfaced, Son was linked to make a $102-$115 million move to the SPL. However, he quickly rejected the idea at that time, stating, “Money is not important to me. The most important thing is to play in a league that I enjoy playing in. I have so much more I want to accomplish in the Premier League.” 

Fast forward to today, not only has he once again rejected a move to the Saudi League, but he also seems to have moved on from his European ambitions, finally embracing a new chapter in the United States. Either way, let’s see what this next step holds for Son Heung-min.