The 2021/22 season couldn't have gone much better for Son Heung-min on a personal level. The South Korean has been a key player for Tottenham for many years and is a fan favourite, which didn't stop last season.
Son had a superb season, which was helped by Harry Kane and the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski, with the trio creating a dangerous attacking line. The 29-year-old's great campaign was topped off by him sharing the Golden Boot award with Mohamed Salah, scoring 23 Premier League goals.
Speaking of Liverpool, football.london understands that the Reds were considering a big bid for Son, if Tottenham hadn't finished in the top four. Luckily for Spurs, they did secure a Champions League spot for next season and a bid for the winger is not understood to be forthcoming.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte prevented Liverpool from making huge bid for Son Heung-min amid Sadio Mane reports
Links with other clubs is something Harry Kane has experience of, with him facing a saga last year and a move to Man City at one point seeming likely. However, with the arrival of Antonio Conte and the success of Tottenham's season, the England captain seems to be staying in N17 for at least another year.
Despite this, former Liverpool goalkeeper David James was asked if he could see Kane as a replacement for Mane, with some rumours flying around about the 28-year-old making a move North. "What I’ve liked about Harry Kane in a sense is that he’s become this season more of a Pep Guardiola player, ironically," James admitted, when speaking to GGRecon.
"If you just look at his general play, I think he’s covering more ground, he’s doing more No.10 play rather than strict No.9 play. If you’re losing Mane, I wouldn’t say Harry Kane is the perfect fit, because Mane and Kane do play differently, what you’re looking at is an alternative.
"I suppose for Liverpool they possibly need an alternative not strictly just because of Mane but after finishing second again in the Premier League," the 51-year-old admitted. James went on to explain his overall thoughts on the Spurs striker.
"I love Harry Kane. I’d love him to stay at Tottenham for the rest of his career and one thing that might deter that move is the fact that Spurs have qualified for the Champions League now and Antonio Conte seems to have, dare I say, his mojo back, with what he’s done for Tottenham this year. But yeah, one side of me wants Harry Kane to stay at Tottenham forever, but if Liverpool were to show an interest and require his talents then it would make a lot of sense," he stated.
Last season saw Kane assisting Son more often than usual, which came about with the England captain dropping into deeper positions, helping the South Korean to become joint-top scorer in the league. James went on to explain that he believes Son would be better suited to Jurgen Klopp's side.
"Harry Kane has scored more goals for Spurs than Son, but Son’s mostly played as a winger. I’ve previously described one of them as a diamond and the other as a ruby. They’re both precious jewels but one of them gets talked about less than the other," he said.
"Son can do a lot of Liverpool-esque stuff and he’s proved that not just with the goals he’s scored but the assists he’s provided over a period of time. The question is, would Son want to move?
"I’m not saying that Harry Kane doesn’t love Tottenham, but you rarely see Son linked with a move away from Spurs and he’s always looked happy there. Harry Kane and Son would be fitting replacements for Sadio Mane, but if Harry Kane has given any indication that he wants to move then that’s something that Son hasn’t done, so the latter would be a harder transfer to seal," James added.
Son has always looks happy at Spurs, both on and off the pitch, but his quality means it is odd that he hasn't been linked with more clubs. That won't be something that Tottenham fans will be complaining about and even more so now, with the front three looking rather complete in a number of games, in the second half of the last campaign.
In an exclusive interview with football.london last month, Betfair Ambassador and former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov echoed the point of the South Korean not being linked elsewhere and the recognition the Bulgarian believes Son should be getting. "Son is underestimated in the Premier League," the 41-year-old admitted.
"He's the type of player who has everything. The speed, goals, the assists, movement and this type of partnership [with Kane] is rarely seen where you just know where your partner is without even looking and me and [Robbie] Keane were the same.
"You enjoy every moment of it and you want every game to come as soon as possible. I'm so happy to see Son getting even more spotlight out there on his own and appreciated even more because of the goals he scores but not only that, everything he brings to the table is unbelievable. I hope that he can be even more spoken of in the way he plays football," Berbatov added.
Tottenham seem more than likely to have the privilege of both Son and Kane remaining in north London for at least another season, which will be pleasing for their teammates, manager and fans to hear. There will be hope that the duo can continue the form from the last campaign, providing a threat to opposing teams and helping Spurs find even more success, next season.
