South Korean sportsman Son Heung-min was in transit to the United States on Tuesday to officially join Los Angeles FC, a record-breaking signing for Major League Soccer, which is expected to be announced in the coming days.
Videos on social media showed Son signing autographs for fans at Incheon airport in Seoul before he boarded a flight to Los Angeles.
The Athletic and GiveMeSport reported on Tuesday that LAFC is paying a transfer fee of about $26.5m to $27m to acquire Son, shattering the current MLS record of $22m that Atlanta United paid for Emmanuel Latte Lath last offseason.
Son, 33, announced over the weekend that he planned to leave Tottenham Hotspur, saying he had achieved everything that he could with the North London club and was interested in a new challenge.
Son scored 172 goals and added 94 assists in 451 matches for Tottenham across all competitions, with 127 coming in Premier League play. A team captain, he helped the Spurs win the 2025 Europa League for the first major trophy of his career.
Son has also scored 51 goals in 134 matches for South Korea, the country’s second-leading goal-scorer of all time. Son played in the past three World Cups.
The forward made his last appearance for Spurs, waving to the club’s travelling fans after their preseason friendly against Newcastle United on Sunday.
Son was given an emotional farewell by his teammates, Newcastle players and almost 65,000 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium in his native South Korea.
The game between the Premier League teams ended 1-1, with the high point being Son’s second-half exit when he was surrounded by both sets of players before eventually sitting on the bench in tears.
“First, we had the walk around, and then the teammates gathered around, and he was emotional,” Tottenham coach Thomas Frank said. “In the changing room, it was more of the same. I just said a few things, but not much, because it’s about Sonny, and then he said a few things. It was beautiful.”
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe also paid tribute to the South Korea forward.
“The reaction was instinctive from my players. I think that speaks volumes about him,” Howe said. “I think he’s seen as one of the game’s great Premier League players. It’s not just the talent he has but the way he has carried himself over the years.”
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