Sources confirmed sports.
Müller, 35, announced in a video over the weekend that his next adventure would be “passing through the pond.” It is reported that at least initially, the World Cup champion was a World Cup champion without a contract and is expected to sign with Vancouver. The move is still awaiting an agreement between Whitecaps and FC Cincinnati to grant Muller the MLS “Discovery” rights.
Discovery rights are the mechanism by which the MLS team claims rights to negotiate with players. FC Cincinnati had previously negotiated with Müller as his representative contacted the club last winter. Sources say the asking price for the discovery right in Cincinnati (which took Müller to work on the deal) is located near the $400,000 Charlotte received from La Galaxy in Los Angeles to get the rights to Marco Reus.
Givemesport first reported the discussion between Mueller and Vancouver.
Bayern's all-time lead Müller will provide mid-season improvements to Vancouver, one of the best teams in the league and put Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to the Mainland finals by defeating the COSCACAF Championship Cup. Whitecaps lost four of five games from June 12 to July 12, but won twice and once in the last three games, currently ranked second in the Western Conference, behind the leading San Diego Football Club but handheld the game.
Müller will undoubtedly become the highest signing in Whitecaps MLS history. Canadian rivals Toronto (Sebastian Giovankon, Lorenzo Inician) and Montreal (Alessandro Nesta, Didier Drogba, Victor Wanyama) have previously squandered cash on global names, but Vancouver has no resumes and cachet players like Müller. Whitecaps did develop Alphonso Davies and then sold him to Bayern, where the left-back became one of the best players in the world. Mueller even created Davis’s “Road Runner” nickname.
Sources said Mueller initially insisted on sticking with designated players trades in talks with Cincinnati, and Cincinnati had no roster to make the move. However, these requirements appear to have fallen, as reports suggest Vancouver can sign his deal within the scope of the maximum target allocation fund (TAM), with about $750,000 for the remainder of 2025.
Mueller has won 33 trophies in 16 years and 33 trophies at Bayern, including 13 league titles and two Champions Leagues, winning 33 trophies and winning 33 trophies. After the German victory in 2014, he scored 10 goals in four World Cups in Germany and won the Golden Boot in 2010.
The German striker will be the second World Cup champion to join MLS in this summer window. Miami International Miami signed Argentine midfielder Rodrigo de Paul last Friday.
(Top photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)