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Jurgen Klopp didn't have many reasons to regret to his decisions in the transfer market, but one forward who ended up at Tottenham Hotspur was someone who got away for the Liverpool legend.
Son Heung-Min, without a doubt, thrived when playing against the Reds at times. But in a tearful press conference earlier today, he confirmed that he would be leaving the club this summer. He is expected to sign for LAFC in MLS.
During his time in the Premier League, Spurs' South Korean forward had netted eight goals in his last 11 Premier League starts against Liverpool prior to the game where the Reds secured the league title last season.
However, despite his impressive goal tally, Son's win record against Liverpool left much to be desired. He's only clinched victory in two of the 19 matches he's played against the Reds, including Tottenham's loss in the 2019 Champions League final.
Nonetheless, on his day, Son posed a significant threat. Now 32, he was almost impossible to halt when he got into his stride on the counter-attack, which would have made him deadly had he worked under Klopp.
The German confessed to KBS News in November 2021 of his painful miss. "One of the biggest mistakes in my life is not signing Son Heung-min," he said.
Klopp would have brought the player to Borussia Dortmund but he was unable to get a deal over the line when Son was first in the Bundesliga with Hamburg.
"Outstanding player," he said. "He is fantastic; a sign of Korean football and one of the best strikers in the world."
Despite Klopp's intentions in 2013, Son chose a move to Bayer Leverkusen over Dortmund. He later clarified: "I wanted to stay in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen and Dortmund wanted me.
"Both teams play in the Champions League but I thought Dortmund would use rotation more than Leverkusen. That's why I chose Leverkusen over Dortmund. It's really important to play regularly at my age."
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After impressing at Leverkusen with 29 goals over two seasons, Son bagged a transfer to Spurs as Klopp departed Germany. He has proved to be a thorn in the Liverpool side ever since.
Liverpool.com says: Son would have been electric in a Dortmund jersey. He would have been able to make a move to a bigger club from there as well.
Son has been at Spurs for so long that he will be most associated with them once he retires. He has never won the silverware that he deserved, though, as a result of being at Tottenham. He would have slid in at Liverpool brilliantly in his prime.
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