LOS ANGELES — It’s always Sonny in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Football Club officially unveiled Son Heung-min, their reportedly record-breaking signing, at a press conference at BMO Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
“I’m here to win, I will perform. I will definitely show you something exciting,” Son said.
Son, 33, is considered to be arguably the greatest Asian soccer player ever, having appeared for South Korea 134 times (scoring 51 goals). In a decade with Tottenham, Son scored 173 goals and added 101 assists, captaining the London-based club to its first trophy in 17 years as Spurs won the 2024-25 Europa League final in May.
The now-former Tottenham star noted that LAFC was not originally his first choice when moving from the north London side, but was convinced by LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington.
“I honestly and openly share what this club is about,” Thorrington said at the press conference. “I ask: ‘Does this match with your ambition?’ and in this case … it has.”
Son is one of the highest profile signings in the club’s – and arguably league – history following the footsteps of Carlos Vela, Gareth Bale and Olivier Giroux into the Hollywood spotlight.
Thorrington said the move was nine years in the making.
“What I call the walking paradox that is Sonny, that is this unbelievably charismatic guy but matched with his humility that he walks around with, and his patience, that’s what we aspire to be,” Thorrington said.
The fee LAFC shelled out to seal his move to MLS is to be the largest in league history, according to multiple reports.
While MLS clubs have rarely been willing to share exact transfer fees, GiveMeSport reported Aug. 5 that the transfer will surpass Emmanuel Latte Lath’s move to Atlanta United this past winter for $22 million. ESPN and The Athletic reported ahead of the announcement that the fee would be at least $26 million, which would mark a new transfer fee record for the league.
Thorrington declined to disclose the terms of the contract when asked.
MLS AT 30: What’s next after remarkable growth
Debut timetable to be determined
Son did not provide a timetable on when he will join the team on the field, saying that he will work with the coaching staff to get on the pitch as soon as possible.
“I came here to play soccer and I’m ready to play, but there is some preparation work to be done,” Son said.
LAFC stands in sixth place in the Western Conference on 36 points with 12 games remaining in MLS play. The team’s next three league games are on the road at the Chicago Fire, New England Revolution and FC Dallas. If the club intends to hold the debut until their return to Expo Park, it could be made in a Sunday showcase against San Diego FC on Aug. 31.
A 2-1 win over UANL Tigres – with a heavily rotated side and Son looking on from a suite – on Tuesday, Aug. 5 gave LAFC a long-shot chance at progressing in Leagues Cup.
Son recognized that LAFC’s vocal fan base, led by the supporters’ groups that make up the 3252, will hold the star to his promises.
“Fans are the most important part of football and also all of the sports,” Son said. “We should appreciate that there is support. That should never be free.”
Korean-American community buzzes about Son signing
Rumors of the Black and Gold signing the South Korean superstar sent a buzz through the Korean-American community as news on the progression of the deal were reported out, principally by Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport and international transfer maven Fabrizio Romano.
“Son Heung-min’s transfer to LAFC presents a rare and powerful opportunity to shift that attention toward LAFC and the MLS,” Kyeongjun Kim, a writer with The Korean Daily, the largest Korean-language media outlet in the U.S., told USA TODAY in an email ahead of Wednesday’s press conference. “Already, many Korean fans are posting on social media asking how to buy LAFC season tickets or inquiring about the match schedule.”
Photos published by Agance France-Presse show fans lining up at Los Angeles International Airport at the rumored time of arrival for Son, with one sign reading “Welcome to LA” in Korean.
Daniel Park, a native of South Korea who was already in the country on a business trip but took time to visit BMO Stadium just before the press conference, described Son as a celebrity who transcended sports.
Beyond his success on the field, Son is a behemoth in the advertising world. Adidas, Burberry, Calvin Klein and Tumi have all named Son a brand ambassador and launched major ad campaigns around him, while he is one of just five soccer players to have a custom character “skin” in one of the most popular video games in the world, Fortnite.
“Son’s move to the LAFC is as exciting — if not moreso — than when Chan-ho Park and Hyun-jin Ryu joined the Dodgers,” Kim wrote.
Son is not the first South Korean signing for the club, which had defender Kim Moon-hwan from 2021-2022.
Contributing: Jason Anderson, USA TODAY Sports
(This story has been updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Son Heung-min introduced at LAFC press conference
