Yang Min-hyeok is set to arrive at Tottenham from Gangwon FC ahead of his schedule
Appointed in July 2023, Ange Postecoglou has since been leading a rebuild at Tottenham Hotspur. He enjoyed a fine first season in the Premier League, where Spurs finished fifth and subsequently qualified for the Europa League.
To help his project go to another level, the chiefs at the Hotspur Way backed the Greek-Australian tactician heavily in the past summer transfer window. The Lilywhites broke the transfer record to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, while also acquiring the services of young talents such as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert. In addition, they agreed on a deal with Gangwon FC for Yang Min-hyeok to arrive at the Hotspur Way in January.
Throughout the K-League campaign, Yang Min-hyeok proved to be an indispensable asset, concluding the campaign with an impressive tally of 12 goals and six assists in all 38 matches. He showcased his remarkable talent and skill set at such a young age.
South Korea’s Yang Min-hyeok is set to officially join Tottenham from Gangwon FC (Photo by ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images)
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Signed by Spurs until 2030, he is also noted for being the youngest South Korean to join a Premier League club. He is now on his way to Tottenham, and ahead of starting his new adventure in England, the explosive winger spoke to local reporters at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.
Excited to start his new journey with Spurs, Yang Min-hyeok admitted he couldn’t sleep and “watched” Tottenham’s game against Southampton at the St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I watched the Tottenham game,” Min-hyeok told South Korean outlet MHN Sports.
The arrival for South Asia would have been ecstatic after watching his new club on Sunday put up a show as Tottenham smashed Southampton 5-0 away. A brace from James Maddison, accompanied by goals from Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr, helped the North Londoners end their five-game winless run across all competitions.
Son delivered a captain’s performance on the night, scoring a goal and supplying two assists. The Spurs skipper is an icon in South Korea, and Min-hyeok feels he will be “very honoured and grateful” to play alongside Son and showcase his talent at White Hart Lane.
“He’s a very good player. If I get to play with him, I’ll be very honoured and grateful. I want to join the team as soon as possible and show my skills,” Min-hyeok added.
Big Ange will be hoping Yang Min-hyeok hits the ground running at Tottenham
Min-hyeok is poised to team up with Tottenham officially a month ahead of schedule. The new arrival cannot come any sooner for Big Ange, who is in desperate need of fresh energy and vigour in his squad that has been decimated by injuries. Tottenham had nine first-team players unavailable for the trip to Southampton, of which three were wide players.
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Thus, the South Korean prodigy arriving at Spurs a month earlier than his schedule would be beneficial for both parties. This would allow him to get acclimatized to the demands of the physical and fast-paced nature of Premier League football, while Big Ange gets time to integrate him slowly into his squad.
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While he is deemed an investment for the future, the Tottenham boss would hope Min-hyeok settles in quickly at the club and provides him with a rotational option in attack.