By Sean Walsh
Ange Postecoglou has emphatically dismissed suggestions that Tottenham Hotspur could sell captain Son Heung-min this summer.
Son's contract at Spurs expires in 2025 and his future has been called into question in some corners following Postecoglou's recent admission that the club need to be ruthless when it comes to parting ways with some of their best players.
At a press conference ahead of Saturday's visit of Burnley, a reporter told Postecoglou they presumed Son would not be among those axed and instead will stay at Tottenham.
"Jeez, that's a huge leap for you, mate!" Postecoglou retorted. "What a bold prediction to make that Sonny is going to be part of our future! Yeah, he's going to be part of our future."
Son was named by Postecoglou as the new captain of the men's first-team ahead of the 2023/24 season. After a relatively disappointing 2022/23 campaign, the South Korean has bounced back this term, registering 17 goals and nine assists in 32 Premier League games to this point.
Spurs are looking to end a run of four straight losses when they host Burnley and will close the gap on fourth-placed Aston Villa to four points with victory.
Champions League qualification appears unlikely and Postecoglou has admitted he does not yet class his Tottenham side as a 'Champions League club', though stressed he is still hoping to climb back into the top four before the end of the season.
"I never said I didn't care about finishing top four. What I said was finishing top-four does not mean we’re going to be the team I want us to be next year," he clarified.
"That's not what will define us. I don't give up and I'd be surprised if anyone in my position at this level will go in with anything other than 100% commitment to fight for everything because if you don't invariably you fail."
He added: "Finishing fourth and getting into the Champions League does not make you a Champions League club, in my opinion. It just gives you an opportunity to be in there. To me, to be a Champions League club and to be at that level requires more than finishing fourth in one year.
"Do I believe right now we're a Champions League club? No, we're not. That's my belief. We've still got work to do. That doesn't mean I don't want us to reach Champions League. That's self-defeating in terms of what I'm trying to create. Should we finish fourth and make Champions League, it isn't going to change my view of where we're at and what we need to do in the summer. That's still real clear in my head."
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Ange Postecoglou reveals Son Heung-min transfer plans.
