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'Nature of professional football'- Football finance expert predicts how Son Heung-Min’s departure will impact Tottenham

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Ahmad Sarmad Ansari | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 8:29 AM ET

Son Heung-Min leaves behind a void that Tottenham Hotspur will need to fill sooner or later

The departure of Son Heung-Min after a 10-year stay at the club has been one of the main highlights of this summer transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur. The South Korean was one of the faces most readily associated with the North London side, as he spent almost all of his professional career there.

Although Spurs did not seem like missing him too much as they started their Premier League 2025-26 campaign with a 3-0 win against Burnley, there is no doubt that the departure of a player of Son’s stature will leave a signific ant hole in the team that might need some time to be eliminated.

News players like Mohammed Kudus can help the fans get over the South Korean star’s exit, while Tottenham are still in the market looking for more new offensive reinforcements.

Financial implications of Son’s exit

However, this departure is not only going to have sporting implications for the Lilywhites, as it can also cause them significant financial problems.

This was the view of the football financial expert Dan Plumley, who opened up on how this transfer can affect Spurs financially while talking to Tottenham News. Talking about the financial aspects of this move, Plumley said:

“Of course, players come and go, and he’s had a brilliant career at Spurs, and they have maximised him as a brand asset as well; it’s pretty clear to see that,” he said.

“We know a lot of those fans around the world follow players nowadays more so than they follow clubs, so it gives you a bit of a short-term hit to manage, but everything comes to an end, doesn’t it? And no player is ultimately irreplaceable in that regard.

“So it’ll be looking at the next player that comes through and how you leverage that, and that doesn’t have to be, in South Asia, that can be all around the world.

“Yes, it’ll be a blow in the short term, but in time, Spurs will leverage their other players, the show goes on kind of thing.

“It’s brutal and it’s relentless, but that’s the nature of professional football.”

However, this shortfall in the revenue could be covered to some extent by the £20 million Spurs received from Los Angeles FC for Son. Furthermore, they will also save the £190,000 per week in wages, the highest in the squad before his move, that they were paying the South Korean forward.

On the other hand, the player also brought in a significant chunk of revenue to the club’s coffers due to his immense popularity in his home country, generating between £40-60 million annually from sponsorships, merchandise sales, ticket sales, and media exposure.

Although it will take time, one can expect another star to emerge and become the next face of this Tottenham team. Hopefully, this will happen sooner rather than later, as it can open up another significant revenue stream for the club, which will ultimately help Spurs remain competitive in a highly cut-throat financial environment of European football.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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