In the past couple of days, it appears that we have reignited an interest in Bayer Leverkusen striker Son Heung-Min, with the Daily Mail suggesting a £15m fee may see the 22-year-old move to Anfield in the summer.
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With Brendan Rodgers’ summer remit surrounding the adding of more forwards to our squad, there is certainly reason to think that the South Korean is on the radar.
But what do we already know about Son? Here are five things that may influence whether any interest turns into a bid for the player:
1) He’s extremely versatile
As pleasing as it is to have someone that can fill in anywhere in an attacking position, whether it be on the wing or up front, the ability to play in a variety of positions is surely detrimental to his qualities as an out and out striker. Perhaps comparisons can be drawn with Dirk Kuyt, who moved to Anfield as a striker, and whilst he became a hero for his six years of service, his goalscoring was not the main reason. Right now, we do not need another creative player that makes chances if there is no one to take them.
2) He was Bayer Leverkusen’s record signing
Son joined the Bundesliga side two years ago, and the €10m required to take him from former club Hamburg was at the time, the side’s highest spend on one player. For a club that has played in a Champions League final, and been runners-up in the league twice since 2002, that is certainly high praise, especially for a player who was just 20 at the time.
3) He has 11 goals this season
With 11 strikes to his name in the league, Son is the club’s joint top goalscorer. His goals have helped guide his side to fourth in the Bundesliga, and whilst they were a long way behind leaders Bayern Munich, they are comfortably ahead of the sides below them, and thus, will have at least a qualifier for next season’s Champions League.
4) His strike partner could also be on his way to Merseyside
As mentioned, Son is Leverkusen’s joint top goalscorer, sharing the honour with Karim Bellarabi, who according to the Daily Mail, is wanted by Everton. Like Son, he is able to play in a variety of positions, and has proved he can hit the back of the net, prompting Roberto Martinez’s interest.
5) He still needs to do National Service
The nature of the South Korean military means that at some point, Son will have to serve around two years National Service. The £15m required would surely be a hefty amount to spend on someone that could potentially be away from the game for nearly two years. And upon his return – should he decide to go during his career – there is no guarantee that he shall be able to rediscover the form that interested us in the first place.