LAFC finally determined the transfer of South Korean star son Heung-Min at a league record fee.
According to multiple sources for the deal, the son will introduce it as a LAFC in the coming days. Sources said LAFC will pay Tottenham Hotspur $26.5 million (£20 million) for the winger.
Apart from Lionel Messi, the son immediately became the highest player in the league and added a huge talent to the LAFC team, which has been a championship contender. His business impact should also be huge. South Korean supporters often fly to London to watch their son’s game. The reporter moved to London to cover the star player. Now, he will be in the Los Angeles market with the largest Korean population in the United States (320,000). It is such a population outside South Korea.
The 33-year-old announced last week that he would leave Tottenham Hotspur after ten years of service. At that time, the son established himself as one of the most successful players in Spurs history, which was the spring term to win the UEFA Europa League. He played his last game for the club at the home country of Seoul World Cup Stadium.
“Before starting, I just want to share the information about my decision to leave this club this summer,” the son said on the day before the game. “This is the toughest decision of my career. I have worked at Tottenham for 10 years. The main reason is that I have achieved everything at Tottenham. I need a new environment to solve new challenges. I am glad the club respects my decision and hopefully there will be benefits next season.
“I came to North London as a kid – 23, a boy who couldn't speak English when he was a kid. I left the club as a man. Thanks to all the Spurs fans who gave me a lot of love. It felt like my home.
“I think now is the right time. I hope everyone understands this and respects that.”
The son scored 127 Premier League goals with the Spurs and added 71 assists, one of the top 20 players in both categories, as well as legends such as Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham and Mo Salah.
He aimed at 173 goals in Tottenham history, becoming the fifth highest goal scorer and played more Premier League games with 333 other Spurs players.
“Sonny is Tottenham Hotspur,” James Maddison said Saturday, preparing for his last game with his son. “And Tottenham is Sonny. It's strange to think about Tottenham without a son.”
The record costs exceeded the $22 million Atlanta United paid for Middlesbrough forward Emmanuel Latte this winter. ESPN and Givemesport previously reported record fees for their son.
The son’s signing in Los Angeles almost feels like a continuation of the Messi effect, as more and more MLS teams hope to bring well-known players who can promote their respective clubs and leagues to a wider audience. When Messi joined the MLS, he brought two former teammates – Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. A year later, another close friend and former teammate signed in Miami: Luis Suárez. But it's important to start seeing this momentum outside Miami and the league, and just 35-year-old.
This summer window has now seen three big celebrities join or agree to sign with the MLS team.
Thomas Müller, 35, will join the Vancouver whites. Messi's World Cup champion teammate Rodrigo de Paul, 31, has just signed in Miami. Now, my son has become a big player in MLS's largest West Coast market.
Earlier this summer, Chicago almost picked up another big name, but Kevin de Bruyne chose to sign with Naples.
In the league, signing large players is not necessarily a new phenomenon. In 2015, the league signed with Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, David Villa, Kaká, Steven Gerrard, Gio dos Santos, Didier Drogba, Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco. But it must start to cause a buzz as MLS moves towards the potential base shift towards the 2026 World Cup and the coming year. At the All-Star Game earlier this summer, MLS Commissioner Don Garber considered major changes to the rules of the calendar, competition and roster that could help those efforts. He calls it MLS 3.0.
If the league can blend these higher signings with its more active stance in the global transfer market, whether it is young internationals or in-game signings, it can help raise MLS to a higher bar.
The son’s signing in Los Angeles represents a step in this direction for clubs that have been doing well in other roster construction.
(Top photo: Han Myung-gu/Getty image)