FORMER Tottenham captain Son Heung-min reportedly has a clause in his contract that could allow him to return to Europe during the MLS off-season.
The South Korean has settled in well at Los Angeles FC, where he’s scored eight goals and provided three assists in his first nine games for the club.
His arrival has suddenly turned LAFC into title challengers.
SunSport understands that the 33-year-old turned down offers from other European clubs and ignored interest from Saudi Arabia to make the move to MLS.
However, his contract reportedly includes a clause similar to the one David Beckham had when he joined LA Galaxy, which allowed him to play for AC Milan during the MLS off-season.
Thierry Henry also had a similar arrangement in his MLS deal, which saw New York Red Bulls loan him to Arsenal temporarily in 2012.
SunSport understands that in Son’s case, the upcoming World Cup in mid-2026 could influence how he uses any off-season – potentially opting to rest and prepare for what is likely to be his final tournament with South Korea.
Given he’s just come off ten successful seasons at Tottenham, it remains to be seen whether a club in Europe could tempt him to return on a short-term basis for three or four months.
Son has been brilliant in his first two months in Major League Soccer, making an impact in several ways reminiscent of Lionel Messi.
That includes huge media coverage, an impact on ticket sales and consistently world-class performances.
Messi generated a buzz around MLS that hadn’t been seen since Beckham’s move in 2007.
While Son’s numbers haven’t quite reached Messi levels, his impact has still been significant.
His introductory press conference garnered 200,000 views on YouTube compared to Messi’s 337,000, and LAFC reported about 34 billion views across social media channels upon Son’s arrival in August, a staggering 594 per cent increase.
He has played every game and nearly every minute since joining, so it will be interesting to see how far he can take his team, or whether a European club might tempt him to return before his contract expires in 2027.
