It is now official: one of the most shocking transfers of the summer, announced last week, has been made official today as Los Angeles FC, from Major League Soccer, has announced Son Heung-min as a new player, coming from Tottenham Hotspur. LAFC paid $26 million (€22m) for the South Korean forward, making him the most expensive player in the history of the North American football league.
Son Heung-min will play for LAFC until 2027, with the option of extending the contract to 2029, when he would be 37.
While he confessed LAFC wasn't his first option, he found an extra motivation: "As a Korean to know that Korea Town has so many Koreans. I'm proud of this club and I will do the best I can to represent this city", he said as to why he chose LAFC. While he leaves Hotspur fans devastated, he feels that he needed a new challenge, with something else in mind. "It could be my last World Cup, so I thought it should be an environment where I can put everything into it".
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In Tottenham, Son became a legend, helping them reach important milestones like the Champions League 2019 final, the EFL Cup final in 2021, and more importantly, the Europa League title this year against Manchester United that ended a 17-year drought for the club. In ten years, Son has scored 173 goals, provided 101 assists, and even won Golden Boot in 2022.
LAFC takes pride in having Son as their latest international football star, after Carlos Vela, Giorgio Chiellini, Olivier Giroud, Gareth Bale, and Hugo Lloris. Founded in 2014, LAFC has won the Supporter's Shield for best regular season and the 2022 MLS Cup.