Son Heung-min’s legacy at Tottenham Hotspur will stay on for generations.
The South Korean worldwide made 454 appearances for Spurs; solely Steve Perryman, Gary Mabbutt, Pat Jennings, Tom Morris, Cyril Knowles and Glenn Hoddle can boast extra.
Throughout ten years on the membership, Son scored 173 targets, thereby behind solely Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith and Martin Chivers, fittingly bowing out having hoisted aloft the Europa League trophy in Bilbao.
Now at LAFC, Son is loving life in MLS, scoring eight targets in 9 appearances thus far, together with a hat-trick towards Actual Salt Lake in Utah final month.
Again at Tottenham, the query was all the time going to be how would they fill Son’s void, who has been a digital ever-present within the Spurs facet for ten years, however have they struck gold on an “absolute jewel”?
Why Spurs followers are enthusiastic about Luka Vušković
One factor you may by no means be capable to clarify to non-football followers is supporters’ propensity to get massively excited a couple of participant who has by no means even performed for his or her membership earlier than.
Nicely, Luka Vušković is the newest participant to fall into this class.
The 18-year-old centre-back joined Tottenham from Hajduk Break up earlier this summer season for a reported charge of £12m, regardless of having made solely 11 senior appearances for the Croatian giants, on prime of 14 on mortgage at Radomiak Radom within the Ekstraklasa.
Thus, he was loaned out to Hamburg, definitely impressing for die Rothosen thus far.
He has began every of their final 4 Bundesliga matches, opening the scoring towards Heidenheim at Volksparkstadion, serving to to safe their first victory again within the prime division.
HSV supporter Fiago labelled him the “finest 18 12 months outdated centre-back I‘ve ever seen in my life”, whereas Jacek Kulig of Soccer Expertise Scout believes that he’s “destined for nice issues”.
Nicely, his statistics definitely make for spectacular studying.
Vušković Bundesliga stats 2024/25 | |
|---|---|
Statistics per 90 | Bundesliga rank |
Aerial duels | 1st |
Aerial duels received | 1st |
Defensive duels received % | 1st |
Interceptions | 1st |
Progressive carries | 2nd |
Stats through DataMB | |
Thus, there’s loads of explanation why Spurs supporters must be enthusiastic about Vušković, however have they got a fair larger expertise already on this squad?
Tottenham’s subsequent Son Heung-min
As a result of he arrived in January, initially on mortgage, earlier than the transfer was made everlasting in June for round £30m, Mathys Tel becoming a member of Tottenham appears to have gone below the radar, however might show to be a wonderful piece of enterprise.
This season didn’t begin significantly properly for the Frenchman, not included in Spurs’ Champions League squad, admitting that he’s “undoubtedly damage” by the choice.
Nevertheless, on the weekend, Tel responded by scoring his first aim of the season, breaking the impasse towards Leeds at Elland Street.
Supervisor Thomas Frank said that he was extremely “emotional” after this aim as he’s “so blissful for him. I believe the character he is proven from a younger man simply actually impressed me from day one”.
So why is Tel so highly-rated?
Nicely, after making solely ten appearances for Stade Rennais, Bayern Munich signed him for round £25m again in the summertime of 2022, at which level Jacek Kulig of Soccer Expertise Scout labelled him an “absolute jewel”.
He scored 16 targets in solely 83 appearances for the Bavarian giants, identified for his blistering tempo, changing into Bayern’s youngest-ever goalscorer when he netted towards Viktoria Köln within the DFB-Pokal.
Nonetheless, the presence of a sure Harry Kane restricted his sport time, therefore why Bayern reluctantly offered him to Spurs.
Nicely, in line with Soccer Transfers, Tel’s estimated worth is round £45m, for comparability, Vušković is valued at round £14m, suggesting the £30m Tottenham paid is an actual cut price.
So, why might he replicate Son’s success?
Nicely, the South Korean additionally arrived from the Bundesliga on the age of 21, a 12 months older than Tel is now, whereas the pair even have positional and stylistic traits, each possessing electrifying tempo in addition to a watch for aim, usually deployed from the left however able to taking part in by the center too.
Thus, with Dejan Kuluševski, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke all at the moment sidelined, Spurs are crying out for some creativity of their ahead line, one thing Tel might very a lot present.
Having already proved himself able to contributing at a excessive degree at such a younger age, Tel could be the largest expertise within the Tottenham squad, to not dampen any of the justified pleasure round Vušković!
