Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min has responded to claims that he is trying to outscore former teammate Harry Kane following his summer move to Bayern Munich.
Kane departed Spurs after two decades of association on the eve of the 2023/24 Premier League season, joining Bundesliga champions Bayern for a fee that could surpass €100m if add-ons are met.
His transfer abroad brought an end to the most prolific strike partnership in Premier League history - Kane and Son combined for a record 44 goals during their time together in north London.
Despite losing arguably their greatest player of all time, Tottenham have gone from strength to strength this season and sit top of the Premier League table after ten games.
Under new head coach Ange Postecoglou, Son has rediscovered his best form as a centre forward. He has already scored eight goals this campaign - two shy of his tally from the whole of last term - while no Premier League player has scored more Premier League goals than him.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Friday Night Football after Spurs' 2-1 win at Crystal Palace, Son was asked if he had a scoring competition going on with close friend Kane, who has already chalked up nine goals in eight Bundesliga games for Bayern.
"Not really!" Son replied with a laugh. "Harry's on another level from me. When you see the Bundesliga, it's another tough league but he's been absolutely killing it so I'm very happy for him."
Tottenham's 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace moved them five points clear at the top of the Premier League table - though they have now played a game more than their rivals - and extended their unbeaten start under Postecoglou to ten matches.
Son, who turned 31 in July, discussed his upturn in form after a disappointing 2022/23 campaign in which he soldiered on through a persistent hernia problem.
"When I suffered last year, I was injured. Football is my life. This season, I enjoy it very much. As an attacking player, you want to play high up the pitch and scoring goals, getting chances," he added.
"I'm enjoying every single moment because I think the lads are working really hard to win these games. Position-wise, I'm very happy to be there and help the team."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Son Heung-min responds to talk of 'scoring competition' against Harry Kane.