The rules of the South Korean government dictates that every male between the ages of 21 and 28 has to serve 2 years in the military or else undergo a jail sentencing on counts of desertion. This is a cause for concern among Tottenham Hotspur fans who will have to bid goodbye to one of the best players in the club following his birthday on 8th July – Son Heung-min.
The winger will be turning 26 on the day and will have to comply with the constitution of his home-nation at the cost of the following 2 seasons. Exemption of the rule can only be applied to Olympic participants and athletes who hold major honours for the club.
Son was not part of the 2012 Olympic team which won the Bronze medal at London. If he wants to escape the military service, he will have to participate in the Asian games at Indonesia at the end of this year which would rid him of Premier League football for 34 months.
While the country and the player himself tries to come up with a solution, losing him for the next 2 seasons will come as a heavy blow to Tottenham’s future aspirations. Son has been hitting out on all cylinders this season and has fit in really well in the final third alongside Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.
If the North London club wants to resume their upward trajectory towards a successful title contention, they need to find able bodies to replace the South Korean. Here are a few candidates Mauricio Pochettino should consider.
Julian Draxler
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is quite reasonably frustrated with his current state of affairs with the Ligue 1 outfit. He has fallen way below the pecking order ever since Neymar and Kylian Mbappe made their grand entrance to the Parc des Princes.
He is a creative mastermind who can appear in multiple positions on the offensive end. The German international captained his national team to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup trophy while winning the Golden Ball simultaneously. He is eager to escape the clutches of PSG and Lucas Moura can convince the 24-year-old to board the flight to the Wembley Stadium.
Xherdan Shaqiri
The Stoke City man is supremely talented and is currently stuck with a side who are nearing a relegation to the Championship. He has introduced a different dynamic into the game with his remarkable left foot and eye-catching skills with the ball.
Kingsley Coman
Playing second-fiddle to an ageing Franck Ribery is not the ideal way to earn a call-up to the France national team. Tottenham should convince the speedy 21-year-old to make his way to Premier League football instead of warming the benches of the Allianz Arena.
