Why one of the “Bundesliga’s biggest jewels” could become Spurs’ new Son

Tottenham Hotspur‘s forward line was once the envy of the Premier League, with Harry Kane and Heung-min Son leading the charge season in, season out in north London.

They were potent and prolific, almost unstoppable at their best, with one memorable outing having been Kane’s four assists for the South Korean away at Southampton back in September 2020.

With the pair since departing in 2023 and 2025, respectively, that void has been felt so keenly of late, with only Richarlison reaching double figures for goals and assists in the top flight last season.

There can, of course, be no complaints over the Lilywhites’ summer business so far, but the squad is looking a little bottom-heavy, leaving the attacking unit looking somewhat lacking heading into 2026/27.

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This summer has seen the north Londoners acquire almost an entirely new backline and midfield unit, although attacking reinforcements are yet to arrive, even with the club enduring such woes in that department in recent seasons.

It says it all that Spurs’ second-highest scorer in the Premier League last term was Joao Palhinha with just five goals, while the centre-back pair of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero ranked in joint-third on four.

ENIC had gone big on both Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus last summer, although the pair netted just four times between them, having ended the campaign on the treatment table.

In terms of left-wing options more directly, Randal Kolo Muani – who did shift over to the right at the tail end of the season – scored just one league goal, while ex-Bayern Munich man Mathys Tel chipped in with just four.

Wilson Odobert, meanwhile, is another to have been hamstrung by injury, while the Spurs hierarchy cashed in on 2024/25 top scorer, Brennan Johnson, in January, leaving Roberto De Zerbi particularly short on depth in the run-in.

Son, having since endured a miserable World Cup, perhaps departed at the right time, although he had still registered 16 league goals and assists in his final year, with that consistency and quality still yet to be truly replaced.

How Spurs plan to finally replace Heung-min Son this summer

Thankfully, there isn’t exactly a shortage of left-wing options on the market, with AC Milan’s Rafael Leao among those on the agenda, amid claims that the Portuguese speedster has said yes to a move to north London.

There could also be something of a surprise move for Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo on the way, the Dutchman netting three times at the World Cup, despite his country’s swift early exit.

Sticking with those to have caught the eye this summer, TEAMtalk have now reported that Spurs could also rival Arsenal for the signing of Norway’s Antonio Nusa, with Premier League interest mounting in the RB Leipzig man.

The suggestion is that Tottenham have already held talks with the player’s representatives, while a deal for the 21-year-old could be struck for a fee of around £51m.

The young winger is also courting attention from clubs abroad too, and that’s no real surprise in truth, with talent scout Jacek Kulig having hailed him as arguably one of the “Bundesliga’s biggest jewels“.

He’s direct and dynamic, such a threat off the left flank, with that having only recently been seen in Norway’s 2-1 win over Ivory Coast, as Nusa curled home from range into the far corner.

That marked a breakthrough moment after an initially muted start to the tournament, suggesting, as expected at 21, that he’s more inclined to produce flashes of brilliance than anything too sustained right now.

While De Zerbi might want ready-made additions, Nusa’s inconsistency isn’t anything to be too greatly concerned about, having still chalked up 13 goals and assists in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons.

The man who could well be replacing at N17 – in the form of Son – didn’t exactly hit the ground running following his own move from Germany back in 2015, the then-23-year-old scoring only four times in his debut Premier League season.

Like Nusa, the ex-Bayer Leverkusen wideman had shown enough to be encouraged by at his former side, his final season at Leverkusen seeing him rack up 12 goals and assists in the league. Again, a solid return, yet not overly spectacular.

The rest, as they say, is history in Son’s case, as he emerged as a superstar in north London, with the opportunity there for Nusa to follow in his footsteps.

Where he particularly stands out, it must be said, is in his ball-carrying prowess, notably averaging a stellar 2.2 successful dribbles per game in 2025/26.

For context, looking back to the 2019/20 season in which Son reached double figures for both goals and assists in the league, and his average in that regard was 2.1.

That again speaks to the similarity between the pair, with Nusa’s capture seemingly set to be just what Spurs have been crying out for – provided they can edge out Arsenal for his signature, that is.