Tottenham Signs Yang, Latest East Asian Player to Join English Soccer Teams

Tottenham Hotspur has signed South Korean teenager Yang Min-hyuk, marking the latest addition of East Asian players to English soccer clubs in 2024. This move continues the trend of clubs seeking emerging talent from the region, inspired by the success of players like Son Heung-min.

Yang, an 18-year-old winger, is now the youngest South Korean to join a top-tier English club. He will join Tottenham in January after Gangwon FC's season concludes. This follows a notable season in the K-League where Yang scored eight goals and provided four assists.

“I'm moving abroad so adapting is very important,” Yang said. “But there is Sonny (Heung-min) who will be a big help for my adapting process because we're both Korean. Sonny is the captain of our national team and I'd say he had a big influence over my decision.”

Son Heung-min, who was a joint top scorer in the English Premier League in 2022, remains a prominent figure among Asian soccer players in England. His fellow South Korean Hwang Hee-chan made an impact at Wolverhampton Wanderers last season, and Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma had a standout performance with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Simon Chadwick, professor of geopolitical economy and sport at SKEMA Business School in Paris, noted, “English clubs are traditionally conservative organizations, they don't typically like to take risks but players such as Son and Mitoma have reassured prospective buyers that they are getting good deals.”

Chadwick highlighted that players like Son offer a combination of high quality, consistency, and commercial appeal, which Tottenham acquired at a relatively low cost. Yang's transfer was reported at $5 million, while Brighton paid just over $3 million for Mitoma.

Interest in East Asian players has extended to England's second tier this year. Bristol City has signed Japanese winger Yu Hirakawa on loan from Machida Zelvia, South Korean forward Eom Ji-sung has moved to Swansea City, and Bae Jun-ho joined Stoke City in January. Additionally, Paik Seung-ho has signed with Birmingham City, while Blackburn Rovers and Hull City have been linked with Japanese winger Yuki Ohashi and South Korean Song Min-kyu, respectively.

The presence of experienced coaches like Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, who has worked with Japanese players at Celtic and now in the Premier League, has also facilitated this trend. Postecoglou expressed confidence in the quality of Japanese players and highlighted their impact in Europe.

“I really believe that Japan is producing some world-class players, who are already making their mark on the Premier League,” Postecoglou said ahead of Tottenham's exhibition match against Vissel Kobe in Japan. Tottenham won the match 3-2 with Son scoring a goal.

Tottenham will face a K-League select XI in Seoul on Wednesday. Postecoglou praised the K-League's contribution to European soccer, acknowledging the significant impact of Korean players, including Son Heung-min.