Son Heung-Min eager to get started for LAFC

Another huge chapter in the brief but glorious existence of LAFC came to fruition on Wednesday afternoon.

What had been rumored for weeks became official, as LAFC signed South Korean star Son Heung-Min from Totenham Hotspur. LAFC paid a record $26 million to the North London side to acquire Son’s services, and his contract with LAFC will run through the 2027 season, with an option for the 2028 season.

“I’m incredibly proud to be joining LAFC, a club with big ambitions in one of the most iconic sports cities in the world,” Son said. “Los Angeles has such a rich history of champions, and I am here to help write the next chapter. I’m excited for this new challenge in MLS. I have come to L.A. to lift trophies and give everything for this club, this city, and its fans. I cannot wait to get started.”

Son spent 10 seasons with Tottenham Hotspur. During that time, Son teamed up with Harry Kane, now with Bayern Munich to form one of the most lethal attacks in the Premier League and thus establish the Spurs as a perennial Champions League threat. In 333 matches played in a Tottenham shirt, Son scored 127 goals, and Son led Tottenham to the Europa League, a 1-0 decision that got Hotspur back into the UEFA Champions League. Son actually started his European career in Germany, first with Hamburger SV from 2010 to 2013, then with Bayer Leverkusen from 2013-2015. Son scored a combined 41 goals during his time in the Bundesliga.

“Bringing Sonny to LAFC and to our city has been a dream of ours for several years,” LAFC Lead Managing Owner Bennett Rosenthal said. “My partners and I are huge admirers of Sonny the player and Sonny the person. His signing is a statement of our commitment to excellence on the pitch and our ambition to continue to build our reputation as a world class club on the global football stage. Sonny as a player and person will inspire not only our fans in LA and the incredible community in Southern California, but millions of fans around the world.”

Son has represented the South Korean national team since 2010, making hid debut against Syria back on December 30. Since then, Son has been a mainstay with Taegeuk Warriors, earning 134 caps, scoring 51 goals and is currently the team captain. Son’s recent highlights while on international duty were an assist to Hwang Hee-Chan for a goal in a 2022 FIFA World Cup match against Portugal which gave South Korea a 2-1 upset win that enabled South Korea to advance to the knockout stages, and a standout performance in the 2023 Asian Cup, where he scored goals and drew penalties as South Korea made it to the semifinals.