Son Heung-min is heading stateside.
After a decade playing for Tottenham Hotspur, the 33-year-old forward is joining LAFC with a transfer fee reportedly worth between $20 to $26 million, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano and CBS Sports’ Tom Bogert.
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The fee may set a new record for an MLS league transfer, usurping the reported $22 million Atlanta United spent on Emmanuel Latte Lath in February, though specifics of Son’s deal are not yet known. He could arrive in Los Angeles as early as next week, but it’s unclear when he will make his debut with the club.
Son, who joined Tottenham in 2015 after spending some time in Germany, announced that he was leaving the club in an emotional press conference on Saturday. In the conference, Son called it “the most difficult” decision of his career.
“I came to north London as a kid, 23 years old, very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English and leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment,” Son said, via The Associated Press.
Son officially said goodbye to the Spurs on Sunday, during a preseason friendly against Newcastle in the forward’s native Korea. He was subbed out in the 64th minute of the game, and spent several emotional minutes receiving hugs from his teammates and coaches, as well as from members of Newcastle.
With 173 goals across competitions, Son is fifth on the club’s all-time goalscoring list. He is seventh in terms of all-time appearances, with 454 across competitions. He has been the Spurs’ captain since 2023.
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Additionally, Son helped lead Tottenham Hotspur to the UEFA Europa League title in May, earning the club its first major trophy in nearly 20 years.
“Winning the Europa League made me feel I had achieved everything I could here,” Son said in Saturday’s press conference. “I need a new environment for a fresh challenge.”
And a challenge it will be: LAFC currently sits in the middle of a busy, competitive Western Conference table with a 10-6-6 record. They currently lag 10 points behind the division leader, San Diego FC.
Being in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup is another consideration for Son, who has been a staple of the South Korean national team for 15 years.
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“My most important priority right now is the World Cup. It’s likely to be my last World Cup and I want to give everything I have in that environment,” Son said in the press conference.”
Son has been Korea’s captain since 2019, and is the most capped with the most goals among current players; Son also holds the third highest caps and second highest goals overall in the team’s history.
The move also reunites Son with his former Spurs teammate, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who signed with LAFC last year.
