Jurgen Klopp has always been a fan of Tottenham’s Son Heung-min (Image: Getty Images
Heung-Min Son, a forward for Tottenham, has an incredible scoring record against Liverpool, and manager Jurgen Klopp has never concealed his admiration for the South Korean.
Liverpool has a few reasons to exercise caution as they get ready to play Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. But a reminder sent out in the middle of the week revealed that the north London team has lost its biggest threat.
Harry Kane, who has scored 43 goals in as many games since moving to Germany last summer, scored a penalty kick as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid drew 2-2 at home in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Kane’s departure probably relieved Liverpool. Even though Tottenham only prevailed in one of his 16 games against them, he scored nine goals and posed a serious threat whenever the two teams squared off. But Kane wasn’t the only worry; the Reds may also be concerned about Kane’s former co-conspirator, the constantly strong Son Heung-Min.
Son continues to be one of the nicest players in the Premier League, which makes Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s departing manager, anxious to play him. Ultimately, the South Korean striker has netted five goals in his previous six Premier League games versus the Reds, and six goals overall in his 14 games for Spurs. In addition, he scored five goals against Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund in five starts.
While Son played for Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and never lost a match when starting against the German manager, his experiences with the Reds are quite different.
Only twice in his career has he triumphed over Liverpool: in a thrilling 4-1 victory at Wembley in October 2017 and a closely contested 2-1 victory at home in September, both of which he scored goals.
Before Liverpool’s matchup with Spurs the previous season, the manager of the club told reporters, “I will be prepared for the best possible Tottenham side.” “They were by far the best counterattacking team in Europe for a number of years.
Son has a fine goalscoring record against Liverpool ( Image: PA)
“There were times when Son was one on one with the goalie and you lost the ball, and all they had to do was find Harry Kane.” I have no idea how to defend that effectively or how to keep the ball in play.”
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Klopp wishes he had signed Son at a younger age.
In November 2021, he admitted to the Korean outlet KBS News that “not signing Son Heung-min was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.” “Excellent athlete. He is one of the world’s best strikers and a great representation of Korean football.”
In 2013, Klopp was unable to acquire Son for Dortmund because the South Korean player opted to transfer to Leverkusen for €10 million instead of joining the Bundesliga’s top team. Son gave his decision some thought and stated, “I wanted to stay in the Bundesliga.” “Both teams play in the Champions League, but I thought Dortmund would use rotation more than Leverkusen,” the player continued, “but Leverkusen and Dortmund wanted me.”
He cited the value of consistent playing time as justification for his choice, saying, “That’s why I chose Leverkusen over Dortmund. At my age, it’s crucial to play frequently.”
At the same time that Klopp left German football, Son moved for £22 million to Tottenham after scoring 29 goals in two seasons with Leverkusen. Even though he hasn’t won any hardware, Son, who is now regarded as a Spurs legend, has scored an amazing 161 goals in 403 games over nine seasons.
Liverpool has hardly ever been connected to Son, despite Klopp’s long-standing interest in him. Given that Son is 31 years old and Klopp is departing Anfield this summer, a transfer seems implausible.
