Son joins LAFC in MLS-record deal worth $26M

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed on Wednesday that club legend Son Heung-Min will be joining MLS side LAFC.

Sources told ESPN the deal is worth around $26 million, a record for MLS. That figure breaks the mark of $22 million Atlanta United FC spent last winter to acquire forward Emmanuel Latte Lath.

The South Korea star's contract at Tottenham ran through the summer of 2026.

Son's final Spurs appearance came in a friendly against Newcastle in his native South Korea on Sunday, one day after he had announced his intention to end his 10-year association with the Premier League club.

The 33-year-old enjoyed a stellar decade in north London, scoring 173 goals and registering 101 assists in 454 appearances for the club in all competitions.

He formed a fearsome partnership with Spurs' all-time top scorer Harry Kane -- the duo hold the record for the most goal combinations between two players in Premier League history -- before the England captain left for Bayern Munich in 2023.

- Son Heung-Min hails Tottenham goodbye as 'perfect moment'
- Bayern legend Müller joins Vancouver Whitecaps
- Summer transfer window: Grading big signings in men's soccer

In the absence of his longtime teammate, Son became Spurs' new talisman. He was subsequently named captain by former head coach Ange Postecoglou following Hugo Lloris' move to the MLS. Son and Lloris will link up once again at LAFC.

Son's final competitive appearance for Spurs came in the team's Europa League final victory over Manchester United in Bilbao, Spain, in May.

LAFC sits in sixth place in MLS's Western Conference, though the Black and Gold have at least two games in hand on the teams above them in the standings.

Information from ESPN's Jeff Carlisle and Lizzy Becherano contributed to this report