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Liverpool have been linked to Bayer Leverkusen’s 22-year-old forward Son Heung-Min in the past, and if the quotes from his agent that emerged in the German press this week are any indication, he will be again over the coming months. According to agent Thies Bliemeister, the 2014 Asian footballer of the year has been targeted by the Reds and there is interest in getting a deal done.
"I know that Liverpool have scouted him a number of times this season," said Bliemeister when asked about whether his client, who has a contract through 2018 with a seasonal release clause that was set at €22.5M this season but which has already expired, meaning that any deal would have to be negotiated between the two clubs. "He’s a player I know they would like to have in their team."
With the trigger date for his automatic release having already passed, speculation in Germany is that Bayer Leverkusen would demand a higher fee, likely upwards of €25M. With the strength of the Pound, though, that means that Son Heung-Min might be available for around £18-20M if Liverpool truly were interested in signing the South Korean star this summer.
Son moved to Bayer from Hamburg in the summer of 2013 for a bargain €10M fee and, playing largely from the left wing, has since scored 29 goals and 11 assists in 79 appearances across all competitions. This season, he’s scored 11 goals in the Bundesliga and 17 in all competitions. Similar to PSV’s Memphis Depay, he has the potential—and finishing ability—to operate as a striker in the right system.
Further, assuming Son’s agent is honest and correct when he suggests that Liverpool are interested, it seems unlikely that Liverpool would go for both his client and Depay in the summer, though confirmed interest in both could signal that Brendan Rodgers is looking to make a flexible, goal scoring attacker his big summer signing in the coming months.
