From Carlos Vela to Hugo Lloris, from Olivier Giroud to Giorgio Chiellini, LAFC have welcomed quite a few big-name soccer stars ever since their debut season in 2018.
The latest soccer icon to make the move to BMO Field is none other than Son Heung-Min.
Born and raised in South Korea, Son (ranked at no.35 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Premier League players of all time) made the move to Germany in 2008, where he plied his trade at Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen before taking his talents to England in 2015.
Over the following decade, Son announced himself as one of the best forwards in world soccer, winning the 2021/22 Premier League Golden Boot alongside Mohamed Salah and becoming the first Asian player to score 100 Premier League goals.
All things considered, Son scored 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 appearances for Tottenham and established himself as one of the greatest players in club history. And after helping Spurs win the UEFA Conference League and put an end to a 17-year trophy drought, he's elected to ride off into the sunset and terminate his European journey.
LAFC have smashed the MLS transfer record by paying $26.5 million for the 33-year-old forward, who has penned a contract through December 31, 2027. Having been announced as the club's new marquee signing on Wednesday, Son shed light on his arrival and why he decided to move to California.
“I felt like I gave it all, but I felt like I needed a new chapter and new challenge and I chose LAFC. I’m old but I still have good physicality, good legs and I still have good quality. They’ve been absolutely working so hard to get me here to join LAFC.
"If I’m honest it was not my first choice but [LAFC general manager John Thorrington] was the first call when the season finished and John changed my mind, he changed my heart.
"I’m so happy to see all the Korean fans, I was at the game and I saw you supporting like crazy and I wanted to run on the pitch and show my performance. I’m here to win and I will perform."
When will Son play his first game in MLS?
Well, he's already made it! Son came on as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 draw with Chicago Fire on Saturday 9 August.
The Black and Gold sit sixth in the Western Conference, and after being eliminated from the Leagues Cup, they are focused on league play from here onward.
Son's impact was immediate. He drew a penalty in the 77th minute that Denis Bouanga converted to clinch the draw in the 81st minute.
VAR confirming the spot kick after the referee initially let play continue. "It was definitely contact and it was definitely a penalty, I have no doubt about it,” said Son after the game.
LAFC now head east for their match against New England Revolution, followed up by a trip to Texas to take on FC Dallas.
LAFC's next home match is on August 31, where they will unveil him to fans as a player when they face Southern California rivals San Diego FC.
Having played in each of Tottenham's last four preseason friendlies vs. Reading, Wycombe, Arsenal and Newcastle, Son did not arrive rusty, but that also doesn't mean that LAFC manager Steven Cherundolo will be in a rush to throw him into the deep end. He could very well wait until LAFC are back on home soil to bring him into the fold.
Whatever happens, one thing's for sure: Tottenham Hotspur are going to have an even tougher time facing off against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA SuperCup on August 13 in Udine, Italy.
With Son no longer leading the line, and with a star-studded arsenal of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratshkelia working their magic, Spurs could very well be headed for a rude awakening in what will be Thomas Frank's first official match as Spurs manager.
