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Tottenham star backed to be handed captain’s armband if Son Heung-min leaves this summer

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 5:54 PM ET

Son Heung-min’s potential sale in August could have a knock-on effect on the future of Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new head coach after weeks of deliberation.

The Danish tactician will want to rebuild the squad as per his own vision, trying to make the North Londoners competitive on multiple fronts next season. The new Spurs boss’ priority will be to get the players back on board and kickstart a new era at White Hart Lane.

There are several Tottenham players whose futures remain up in the air. Two of those are seasoned campaigners Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min.

Cristian Romero has been heavily linked with a departure from Spurs. The Argentinean international has already expressed his desire to play in La Liga, with Atletico Madrid holding concrete interest in the central defender.

It is not surprising that the 27-year-old is wanted by Atletico Madrid, regardless of him enduring an underwhelming 2024/25 campaign. Reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and key decision-makers will try their best to convince Romero to stay at N17 for one more season.

And the 2022 World Cup winner could be offered the armband after the latest update on current skipper Son Heung-min, which might convince the central defender to remain at Tottenham. Football London correspondent Alasdair Gold claims the South Korean international is closer to leaving the North Londoners than ever, with cash-rich Saudi Pro League clubs vying for his signature.

Son Heung-min is also open to a departure, but according to a report from BBC Sport, the Lilywhites are commercially contracted to have their captain play in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in South Korea on August 3. However, he could be sold after the clash with Newcastle, and Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham feels this could have a knock-on effect on both Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur.

“Romero will be the new captain if Son departs the club,” John Wenham exclusively told Tottenham News.

“If Romero stays, that could lead to Bentancur renewing his contract, and that would be the new bedrock of Tottenham moving forward.

“I know we’ve seen those comments from Diego Simeone. However, at the moment, it doesn’t look as though Atletico are willing to pay what Romero is worth. This is a player being eyed up as the next Argentina captain.

“Therefore, selling him on the cheap is not an option, and it doesn’t look like Atletico are willing to pay the amount of money Romero is worth.”

Son’s sale could perhaps bring in significant investment for the North London club in the coming months. Despite entering the final year of his contract, only a sizeable bid from his suitors could force Levy to consider selling the experienced forward in.

With Son turning 33 in July, and his contract expiring next year, this feels like the only chance Tottenham have of cashing in on him. Should Son depart, there is a big possibility Thomas Frank hands the captaincy reins to Romero, which could prove a big factor in him staying put at the club for another season amid Atletico interest.

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

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