LAFC’s Denis Bouanga shared a cryptic message on social media after his club reportedly rejected a bid from Inter Miami for the star forward.
“You’re inches from your dream, and the club shuts it down,” read a post that Bouanga retweeted on Thursday, Jan. 22.
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The Athletic reported that Miami, the defending Major League Soccer champion, had offered $13 million for Bouanga, but the offer was shot down by LAFC.
Bouanga scored 24 goals in 31 league games for LAFC in 2025, his third consecutive year with at least 20 goals. The 31-year-old Gabon international finished third in 2025 MVP voting and was named to the league’s Best XI each of the past three seasons.
Bouanga formed an impressive partnership with Son Heung-min last season, the ex-Tottenham superstar’s first year in the league. Son scored nine goals in 10 MLS games for LAFC after joining the club in August.
The 2026 MLS season begins on Feb. 21, with LAFC playing Inter Miami in Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Denis Bouanga cryptic message after failed bid to join Messi in Miami
