Tottenham sign Bayer Leverkusen forward Son Heung-Min

Tottenham have signed South Korea forward Son Heung-Min from Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year contract, for a fee believed to be around £22m, subject to a work permit and international clearance.

CONFIRMED: Heung-Min Son signs from Leverkusen subject to work permit & international clearance. #HereComesTheSon pic.twitter.com/aXGhzHwYcE

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 28, 2015

This somewhat left-field transfer could bolster Spurs’ stagnant striking ranks before their crunch weekend clash with Everton, with Mauricio Pochettino’s men, 8/2 for a top four finish with Coral, yet to clock up a victory this campaign.

Certainly, Son will not solve all of the capital club’s issues in attack, but the South Korea international’s capture is surely a step in the right direction. If only they had targeted the adaptable attacker earlier.

While bids for England Under-21 striker Saido Berahino have been repeatedly rebuffed by West Bromwich Albion, leading to Tottenham apparently reconsidering their interest and unwilling to top up their mooted £21m offer for the youngster, this swoop for Son will not necessarily dampen a deal for another frontman.

Skilful Son, strong with both feet, will certainly add lashings of speed to Spurs’ frontline, but is an ideal acquisition in that he is not direct competition for talisman Harry Kane.

The 44-capped Taeguek Warrior can be deployed as a leading man, but Son’s strengths see him at his best when operating on either flank.

Tottenham, said to be in talks over offloading underwhelming Argentine winger Erik Lamela to Inter Milan, would certainly be upgrading out wide by landing the South Korean instead, as well as adding depth up top if Spurs (16/1 to win the Europa League) cannot secure Berahino for a realistic price.

Nimble but not so easily pushed off the ball, Son is used to the pressures of leading South Korea’s attack, having been pelted with Toffees alongside his teammates by discontented home support following the Reds’ 2014 World Cup exit, though he was one of few to have performed well in Brazil.

The South Korea international will wear the number 7 shirt with ‘Son’ on his back. #HereComesTheSon pic.twitter.com/hTcVzHsIZm

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 28, 2015

Still only 23, Son, now in his sixth season of Bundesliga service, so will also provide spades of experience to a relatively green Spurs side. Curiously, though, the East Asian superstar will be taking somewhat of a step down by leaving Leverkusen, who are through to the group stages of the Champions League after downing Lazio on home turf, for Europa League football with Tottenham.

This new challenge may well galvanise the flexible forward, however, and his European record for the German team, including two in two in qualifying and three from eight outings in the Champions League proper last term, could see him take centre stage on the continent.

Having bagged 11 in the Bundesliga last season, also proving prolific for the Taegeuk Warriors as he equalised for his nation in the 2015 Asian Cup final, narrowly missing out on a winners medal to hosts Australia, Son can add excitement and unpredictability to proceedings at White Hart Lane.

With a hard-working mentality and the ability to change a game, Son, potentially a snip at a rumoured £22m, should acclimatize to the Premier League well.

Though, while he does have an undoubted eye for goal, the South Korean still has the potential to become far more potent and, with Kane still yet to get on the scoresheet this season, Son may have to bear the goal burden immediately.