No, Son, what you'll be playing in America is football (not soccer!)

Football fever has taken over part of the United States' population with Asian roots. Heung-Min Son has officially become a new player for Los Angeles FC, and his transfer fee of around 23 million has broken the previous Major League Soccer record. This move surpassed the previous highest transfer from 2023, when Middlesbrough sold Emmanuel Latte Lath to Atlanta for 21.25 million.

This transfer undoubtedly marks the most high-profile arrival of an Asian football superstar on American soil. Son, who spent the past ten years wearing the Tottenham jersey and served as captain of the London club, arrived in California with great excitement. Fans greeted him with ovations at BMO Stadium, and the 33-year-old Korean did not hide his delight:

"What can I say? A dream come true! What a city! I came here to win and to show something exciting. Do we call this football or soccer?", Son said with a smile at his unveiling.

Although he admitted that Los Angeles wasn’t his first choice, he quickly changed his mind. The day before the unveiling, he watched LAFC's 2–1 win over Mexican side Tigres in the CONCACAF Leagues Cup from the stands, and he was especially moved by the fans from the local Koreatown: "I was shocked by the support. I saw so many Koreans that I wanted to jump onto the pitch and play right away! It will be an honor to represent Korea and the Korean community in this jersey. That will be one of my biggest motivations in Los Angeles."

Son signed a contract until 2027, with an option to extend for another two seasons. His debut is expected as early as next weekend against Chicago Fire, where he will once again meet his former Tottenham teammate, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who is already part of the LAFC squad.

During his decade in the Premier League, Son scored 173 goals and recorded 101 assists in 454 matches. He was the Golden Boot winner in the 2021/22 season, sharing the top scorer title with Mohamed Salah, both netting 23 goals. In May this year, he lifted his first trophy with Spurs – the Europa League trophy, after defeating Manchester United in the final held in Bilbao.

Son will become the most expensive MLS player

As the captain of the South Korean national team, Son has scored 51 goals in 134 matches, appeared in three World Cups and four Asian Cups, and cemented his status as a national hero by winning gold at the 2018 Asian Games.

As a reminder, on the same day Son signed for Los Angeles, another European icon landed in MLS: Thomas Muller, a Bayern Munich and German football legend, signed with Vancouver.