Son offered to join Saudi Arabia League

Korea's football icon Son Heung-min is said to have received an offer to join the Saudi Pro League, known for its lavish spending fueled by oil money, in its pursuit of top talents from Europe's professional football leagues.

Sports media outlet ESPN reported on Tuesday, citing sources, that Saudi's Al-Ittihad is ready to “move for Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min with an opening bid in the region of 60 million euros (approximately 84 billion won ) plus bonuses.” The news stated that Al-Ittihad offered Son a four-year contract worth 30 million euros (approximately 42 billion won) per season.

"Top clubs from Saudi Arabia are interested in a number of Premier League stars this summer, and Son has become the latest high-profile name to be approached," ESPN added. With Son's contract at Tottenham Hotspur expiring in two years (as of June 2025), the sports channel noted that Al-Ittihad "face a difficult task in pursuing a deal that Spurs would not be interested in listening to."

On June 7, the Saudi Arabian club made a significant addition by welcoming former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema. The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner is said to have signed a two-year contract worth €400 million (approximately 559.6 billion won). Furthermore, reports suggest that another French football legend, N'Golo Kante, who currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, is also on the verge of joining the team. It is worth noting that Al-Ittihad emerged victorious in the 2022-2023 season of the Saudi Pro League after defeating Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al Nassr.


Dong-Wook Kim creating@donga.com