Tottenham plans to fill Son Heung-min’s vacancy with a striker who had a disappointing performance in the English Premier League (EPL).
European football transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano reported on his SNS on the 7th (Korea Standard Time), “Tottenham will sign a contract with Leipzig, paying 100 percent of Timo Werner’s annual salary.”
Werner is Royce Oppen this season. It is not easy to play because he is lagging behind Yusuf Poulsen and others. Eventually, he was preparing for a transfer in the winter transfer market, and Tottenham started recruiting.
Werner once stood out by making his professional debut at Stuttgart. He was in full swing when he joined RB Leipzig based on his skills at Stuttgart. In his first season in Leipzig, he swept the German stage with 21 goals and 5 assists in 31 Bundesliga games. In the 2019-202 season, he threatened Robert Lewandowski and joined the Leipzig competition for the top scorer. At the time, Werner was outpaced by Lewandowski, who scored 34 goals with 28 goals, and failed to win the top scorer award, but he was still recognized as the best striker in Germany. He scored 95 goals in 159 matches for Leipzig.
Since then, Chelsea has decided to move to the English Premier League (EPL) by recruiting Werner. However, Werner has changed into a completely different player for Chelsea. Other than his fast speed, he could hardly afford to lose any opportunities. His ability to score goals, which did not pose a threat to opponents, made Chelsea fans sigh in every game. Consequently, Werner only scored 10 goals in the EPL during his two seasons with Chelsea, before returning to Leipzig for the 2022-2023 season. However, his return to Leipzig was not a success and he is preparing to return to the EPL.
Romano said, ‘A medical test is scheduled, and he will come to Tottenham over the weekend to prepare. Werner cannot wait to work under Enze Postecoglou’ and said Werner is looking forward to moving to Tottenham.
As Romano mentioned, if Tottenham pays Werner’s full weekly salary, it seems to be comparable to Son Heung-min, one of Tottenham’s top weekly wage earners. According to the soccer and economic media Capology, Werner’s weekly salary is 190,000 euros (about 275 million won), which is about 40 million won different from that of Son Heung-min, who is 190,000 pounds (about 318 million won), and it is the highest in the EPL. In Tottenham, the weekly salary is second only to Son Heung-min and it is almost the same as that of James Maddison, one of the key players. Considering the difference in the EPL’s overall score, it can be assumed that Tottenham has high expectations for Werner.
The Guardian said, “Tottenham will close the deal in early January to loan Werner. The top target is Radu Dragusin, but he is also open to strengthening the forward line. Werner has been classified as a suitable player with the speed, power and ability that match Tottenham’s core strength. Rumors of a transfer to Manchester United were also mentioned, but he scored two goals in eight matches in this season’s Bundesliga.”
The reason for Werner’s transfer on loan was revealed by Leipzig coach Marco Rose. “He wants to be on loan. Werner wants to play at Euro 2024, so he has to play and we are doing our best for him,” Rose said. “We have prepared for Werner’s transfer to get time to play for Euro 2024.”
Germany has already acknowledged the imminent transfer of Bernardo to Tottenham. The German version of Sky Sports also reported on Wednesday that Tottenham wants Timo Werner.
The German version of Sky Sports said, “Werner is scheduled to return to the UK. He will be loaned to Tottenham until the end of the season. The deal is almost complete, and the details are not yet clear. Final negotiations are expected to proceed on Saturday,” explaining that Werner’s trip to Tottenham is imminent.
Meanwhile, even if Tottenham recruits Werner, it is unclear whether Son Heung-min’s vacancy will be completely filled.
Son Heung-min left Tottenham to participate in the 2023 Asian Cup of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar, which will be held from December to February 10. South Korea, led by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, is a team that is trying to win the Asian Cup, so it is highly likely that Son Heung-min will not be able to return until the final match of the tournament.
Football London said, “The semifinals will take place on Feb. 6 and 7. Even if Korea falls in the semifinals, chances are low that Korea will play against Brighton. Even if Korea plays in the final, it may play against Wolverhampton a week later, but if Korea is given break time such as championship celebrations, it may not be able to play.”
“I personally highly value Son’s participation in the Asian Cup. Many European fans value the European Championship, and the Asian Cup and the African Cup of Nations are the same,” Postecoglou said. “I hope Son will become the runner-up again after Australia. If so, I will be very happy.”
Earlier, Postecoglou, who was Australia’s coach at the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia, won the title by winning against South Korea in the final, and South Korea was only a disappointing runner-up. However, Son Heung-min is expected to do his best at the Asian Cup to win the title, not the runner-up, despite Postecoglou’s playful advice.
“As a captain, I can’t help but feel guilty. I feel sorry for the team and the fans because it seems like they are away at a time when many important players are injured,” Son said. “The Republic of Korea is very important to me. Going to the national team is also very important. I know how important it is to be a member of the national team for a long time. I think we will be able to find a good date through good coordination.”
Considering Tottenham’s skills this season, it is not easy to expect how much Werner will be able to fill the vacancy.
For Tottenham, forward striker Harry Kane has left for Bayern Munich ahead of this season. The question of whether it will be able to fill the departure of Kane, who scored 30 goals in the league alone last season, which was a big part of Tottenham’s dominance, was closely followed by Tottenham until the opening of the season. In fact, although Tottenham remained undefeated right after the opening of the league, it was regrettable in its offense from the front until the third round.
In the match against Burnley in the fourth round of the league, coach Enze Postecoglou made a decision. Postecoglou chose Son as a forward striker instead of Hishalisson, who had been sluggish. And he rewarded his coach’s trust. Son made a good start against Burnley by scoring a hat-trick during the season, including his first goal in this season. Son Heung-min, who is sitting in the center, penetrated the path of his attack by banking on strong pressure and playing on both sides. At the 16th minute of the first half, when his team was trailing 0-1 at the time of the Burnley match, Son scored an equalizer with a chip shot that crossed the key with the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. Later, he added two more goals in the second half to complete a hat-trick, and completely eliminated regret that he had no goal in the previous three rounds.
Whenever his team lost a point, he scored two goals that he immediately balanced, and enabled his team to secure one point away from Arsenal. The score continued. In the 36th minute of the first half, Son played again as a one-top against Liverpool when Madison confirmed Hisharlisson’s penetration and passed a pass, and Hisharlisson’s cross was sent by Son, who was rushing to the front of the goalpost, lightly returned it and shook Liverpool’s net. Responding to Postecoglou’s belief, Son scored six goals in three of the four matches he played as a forward striker. Since then, Son has played as a one-top striker in the match against Luton Town, and although he had no attack point, he has assisted his team by constantly pressing forward.
Son, who had no goal in early October, showed his scoring instinct again in the match against Fulham, which he played after the A-match period in October. In the 36th minute of the first half, Pantherpen stole the ball from the front of the opponent’s penalty box with an interception and delivered it to Son Heung-min in front of the box. Son immediately turned around between defense and shook Fulham’s net with a sharp right foot kick. Son and Hisharlisson collaborated to score again after the last match against Liverpool. In the match against Palace, he scored the winning goal to lead his team’s unbeaten streak of 10 matches.
After that, Madison was briefly sluggish due to an injury, but he quickly returned to his original skills with one goal and one goal and two assists against Newcastle. He also scored a goal in the match against Everton and continued to enjoy a good atmosphere this season.
In addition to scoring ability, Son also has a huge leadership gap. Despite being in his first season as a captain, he has clearly displayed leadership. Son was appointed as Tottenham’s captain ahead of this season. It was Postecoglou’s choice to fill the void of leadership due to Harry Kane’s transfer and the possibility of Hugo Lloris’ transfer. Son is the 41st captain of Tottenham, founded in 1882. He is also the first captain of a nationality outside of Europe.
After Bobby Buckle was appointed as the first captain in 1882, England players such as Jack Joule and Stanley Briggs were selected as captains, Tottenham became the first non-England captain in 1897. However, it was 132 years ago that non-British players were allowed to have their left armbands. Until 2014, Tottenham had 38 players as captains of their clubs, 26 from England, seven from Scotland, three from Wales and two from Northern Ireland. As such, it would have been difficult for a player from England to be the focal point of the team unless he was from England. In 2014, he appointed France’s national team member Younes Kabul as captain, and two years later, he appointed France’s national team goalkeeper Lloris as captain. And Son Heung-min became the first non-European player to become Tottenham captain. Tottenham will have a new era of both coach and captain from Asia.
Tottenham’s appointment of Son Heung-min as its captain was well received. In the 2010s, Son was recognized as a captain both inside and outside Tottenham as he was receiving the highest praise for his personality as well. Son said on his website, “It is a great honor to be the captain of this huge club. It is a great surprise and a very proud moment. I have already told my players that everyone, both inside and outside the stadium, should feel like a captain. It is a new season, a new beginning. I will give everything for this uniform and armband.”
Postecoglou also said about Son’s appointment, “Everyone knows that he is world class. He has tremendous respect from everyone in the locker room. He transcends groups in the squad. He is not just popular, but thanks to what he has accomplished here and in games as the captain of the Korean national team,” explaining that Son is second to none in terms of skill, personality, leadership, and career.
He also played a role of rebuking and encouraging the team, contributing to leading the team in the right direction. After his defeat against Aston Villa, Son said, “I am so sorry for the fans. I am sure losing three consecutive games is not how we wanted it to be, and the fans may not believe it, but I feel a strong sense of responsibility for next weekend. As a captain, I can say that everyone did their best to win this game. It was hard to create opportunities as we played the game, but I think we did everything.” He also apologized to his fans.
“I think we have to control the game more, especially with a 1-0 lead. I made a few mistakes in the 1-0 situation this season. I played a little slow, gave up a goal, delayed the game, and lost the tempo. I gave Aston Villa an opportunity to lead the game, and I think we need to be stronger than today in the set piece before halftime,” he said, also criticizing what to be careful about when the team takes the lead with the first goal.
After the draw against Manchester City, where Tottenham was active with one goal and one assist, he emphasized the direction of Tottenham’s soccer and strengthened his will to rebound. “I think the attitude of holding on to giving up until the end and the way we tried to do it went well,” he said in an interview. “Especially in the second half, I think we played a lot of games that we wanted to play as we wanted. It’s because the players all worked hard to get important points together in the most difficult places. I think this one point will be an important point as we proceed with this season,” he said.
Son Heung-min, who said, “The coach wants this kind of football,” said, “The way we pursue it is important, and it is important that we play the game no matter who the opponent is,” expressing his firm will to coach Postecoglou.
However, the team failed to rebound after losing against West Ham once again. Captain Son Heung-min’s bitter words came out again. “Whether or not Tottenham is a better team means nothing. Losing a match is unacceptable. You have to take responsibility as a player,” Son said, stressing the renewal of your team including yourself.
After winning against Newcastle, Son Heung-min said, “The manager wanted to play with a different idea today, he wanted to dig deeper into the back space, and he tried to put a more quality ball into the box. Hisalisson played really well in the box, and I think he is better than me in the box. He was the right striker for the position today,” adding, “He enjoyed the joy of victory by praising his teammate Hisalisson with his performance.
If Son Heung-min scores double-digit goals in the upcoming 2024-2025 season, he will also be tied with Kane and Aguero, who have scored double-digit goals for nine consecutive seasons. Lampard is the player who has recorded 10 consecutive seasons, and Rooney has continued that record for 11 consecutive seasons. Considering that Son Heung-min only scored four goals and one assist in the 2015-2016 season, his debut season in the EPL, and considered returning to the Bundesliga, the current record can be seen as a result of tremendous development. Son Heung-min, who endured his first season, continued to play consistently starting with 14 league goals next season and scored 23 goals in the 2021-2022 season, winning the Golden Boot (Premier League scoring king). Last season, he scored only 10 goals due to sluggishness and injury, but this season, he scored his 10th goal in the 16th round, again as the top scorer.
The performance is so impressive that it is compared to when he won the top scorer’s award in the 2021-2022 season. Son Heung-min, who has already scored 10 goals in the league, is considered one of the leading candidates for the top scorer as he ranked third after Erling Holan and Mohamed Salah. After overcoming the slump last season, he has returned to the forefront of Tottenham’s attack perfectly.
It also ranked a place in the 2023 Men’s Soccer Player Rankings, which was selected by the Guardian, a leading British newspaper. Son Heung-min was ranked 24th. The Guardian mentioned Son Heung-min, “He had hernia problems throughout the last season and only revealed it after surgery at the end of May, which is what Asia’s biggest star is all about. Tottenham was struggling, but Son did not want to put them in crisis. He also had difficulties, and his attack points decreased. However, Tottenham captain returned to his former self through a new season in which he played painlessly under his responsibility. Manager Enze Postecoglou appointed Son as the best No.9 and left winger,” highlighting Son’s performance.
His performance continued even after he moved his position. After returning to his left wing position from the game against Newcastle, Son also scored a goal in the game against Everton. In the 18th minute of the first half, Son was blocked by Pickford’s save when he tried to link Poro with Kuruszewski in a corner kick. Holding the ball calmly, Son shook the net by pushing it accurately in the direction Pickford could not prevent. Son scored 114 goals in the Premier League, surpassing Ian Wright to rank 23rd overall in the Premier League, and narrowed the gap between Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling, who were ranked 21st with 120 goals, to six.
After the match against Everton, England’s Evening Standard also gave Son seven points in rating, giving him a positive assessment by saying, “He carried the ball with very precise control. When he scored and made it 2-0, Tottenham ultimately put him in an impregnable position.” England’s Football London also gave Son seven points, and he showed an active performance by scoring his 11th goal with a cheerful shot. He had a good chance to pass in the last minute of the second half, but he blew the shot.” “90min” also praised Son, saying, “The finish was messy and the ball took quite a while, but in the end, his score was crucial.”
Postecoglou also lavished praise on Son. “Son Heung-min is an elite player in every way. It would be amazing if he was not evaluated as an outstanding striker when he finished. He has been in the side throughout his career, but he has shown a threat to goals. Now I have him in the box, which is why he has already scored nine goals. I think he is also the leader in offside scoring,” he praised Son.
He was also named the 2023 Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year by fans of Tottenham Hotspur. The poll was conducted by Rich Sports, the largest sports publishing company in the U.K., and Son Heung-min was chosen as the No. 1 player in Tottenham after voting for “Fan’s Footballer of the Year, FFOTY 2023.” Rich Sports said, “Son Heung-min had an eventful event during the 2022-2023 season. He recovered his best performance under new coach Enzi Postecoglou this year. Son moved to the center and filled in Kane’s void. He showed a different attitude and leadership with his captain’s armband.”
Global soccer media Goalt.COM named Son one of the best 11 players in the first half of the EPL. Among the 11 players selected in the 3-4-3 formation, Son, who was selected as the left midfielder, was not an active striker this season, but he was recognized for scoring 11 goals and ranked as the best 11.
Goal dot-com said, “Son Heung-min has long established himself as an EPL legend. Excluding the first season (2015/16), he consistently achieved 10 goals as the best player in Asian history. Last season was less than expected, but this season was different. When Harry Kane was sidelined following the departure of Coach Ange Postecoglou this season, Son switched to the No. 9 role. Since then, he has recovered his best performance. He is aiming to become his second EPL top scorer. Tottenham is still capable of winning the Premier League,” revealing the reason for Son’s selection.
“Son Heung-min is an unrivaled player in the closing. He is especially strong in big matches and is still the best player. Born in 1992, he is relatively old, but he is still an irreplaceable striker in Tottenham.”
Son’s leadership vacuum will be filled by his close colleague Ben Davies. “Postecoglou is also a big fan of Son,” Tottenham reporter Alasdier Gold said, revealing that Davies is the leading candidate to captain Son until he returns.
He also left a message for his team’s junior Hishalisson, who needs to fill his place. Son Heung-min praised and encouraged, “Hishalisson knows he needs to score more goals when he plays for Tottenham. To be a striker, he needs to score more than 15. He is the type of player who wants to score more, and I hope he can continue to be helpful for the team.” 랭크카지노주소
Considering this, it is not easy to expect Werner to fill Son Heung-min’s vacancy and play a clear role in Tottenham’s offense.
While Tottenham has been busy from the beginning of the winter transfer market to reinforce its offense, it is expected that Tottenham fans will pay great attention to what choice the recruitment of Werner will lead to.