Son Heung-min must leave like Kane

Can Son Heung-min quench his thirst for titles?

Son Heung-min liked Harry Kane's post celebrating the 2024/25 Bundesliga title in the early morning of May 5, right after the match between Leverkusen and Freiburg in round 32 ended. Son Heung-min probably understood his close friend's excitement.

Kane celebrated enthusiastically with his Bayern teammates on TV. His trophy-less curse was finally over.

Opposite situation

Harry Kane, with hundreds of goals in his career, was once labeled "king without a throne" for a long time. Despite being the top scorer in English football history, Kane always lacked a collective trophy to confirm his position.

Kane's final appearances with Tottenham and England have all ended in defeat, leaving his title dreams in limbo. His decision to leave Tottenham to join Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 was a major turning point in Kane's career.

Despite a rocky start with a 0-3 defeat to Leipzig in the German Super Cup two years ago, Kane finally broke the curse when he and Bayern won the 2024/25 Bundesliga championship. This title not only relieved the pressure but also marked an important milestone, helping Kane step out of the shadow of a "titleless" star.

For Kane, this season's Bundesliga title is just the beginning. His journey at Bayern is still ahead, with ambitions to conquer the Champions League and defend the Bundesliga title in the 2025/26 season.

Kane now has even more chances to win major titles, when Bayern enters the FIFA Club World Cup this summer in the US. In August, he will play in the German Super Cup.

Meanwhile, Son Heung-min has yet to win any major titles at club level. He has also yet to win any championships with the Korean national team. The only official title "Sonny" has won so far in his career is the 2018 ASIAD gold medal in Indonesia with the Korean U23 team.

Obviously, that cannot be considered an important title in top football. This season, Son Heung-min also went through a forgettable period with Tottenham in the Premier League. "The Rooster" ranked 16th in the tournament, the club's worst performance in the past 10 years.

Tottenham's chances of winning the domestic league in the coming years are very low, if not impossible. A glimmer of hope for Son Heung-min lies in the Europa League, as the "Roosters" have a big advantage to reach the final, after a 3-1 victory over Bodo Glimt in the first leg of the semi-finals.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, once a perfect pair at Tottenham, are now on two different paths in the title race.

Son Heung-min has scored 153 goals for Tottenham, won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2021/22 (with Mohamed Salah), and is one of the greatest Asian players in history. However, his career still lacks a trophy to complete it. And if Tottenham cannot win the Europa League this season, it will be time for "Sonny" to follow in the footsteps of his close friend Kane.

Must leave Tottenham

The difference in Kane and Son Heung-min's title journeys comes from many factors. Firstly, the decision to move to Bayern Munich puts Kane in a more ideal environment to conquer the title.

Bayern, with its history of Bundesliga dominance and strong potential, is the perfect launch pad for Kane's ambitions. Meanwhile, Son Heung-min chose to stay at Tottenham, a team in the process of rebuilding under coach Postecoglou.

What happened this season shows that Spurs are almost unable to compete with the big names like Liverpool, Manchester City or Arsenal in the domestic arena. Son Heung-min has had to shoulder both the leadership role and the goal-scoring responsibility at Tottenham after Kane's departure.

Age is also a big issue for the Korean striker, as he will turn 33 in July. It's time for Son Heung-min to find a new destination in his career to continue to nurture the hope of winning a major title for his career, while maintaining his form.

Time waits for no one, especially in top-level football, where everything is even more urgent. Watching his close friend Kane quench his thirst for titles, Son Heung-min probably felt sad too.

With his contract expiring at the end of the 2025/26 season, Son Heung-min could seek a new challenge outside of Tottenham. Big European clubs are always ready to welcome the Korean striker, because in addition to his professional ability, "Sonny" is also a name that can bring in commercial revenue from the Asian market.