After the success of the Club World Cup, a record-breaking 82,556 soccer fans filled MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to watch the Premier League Summer Series game between Manchester United and West Ham. If that wasn’t enough, MLS has even outpaced MLB’s revenue growth number with 18% compared to 16%. The message is loud and clear, and the clubs are moving accordingly.
It’s barely been two weeks since insiders reported that Inter Miami was on the verge of signing Rodrigo De Paul. The Argentinian is slated to be a big boost for the Miami midfield and help Messi excel. Earlier, the MLS team confirmed that they had indeed secured De Paul on loan from Athletico Madrid. Now, two more European club soccer icons may be ready to join the MLS as well.
Major League Soccer insiders Tom Bogert and Ben Jacobs revealed that two MLS clubs are closing in on signing two international soccer icons to their teams. One of them is none other than World Cup winner and long-time Bayern Munich star-turned-free agent Thomas Muller. The other is the 2025 Europa League winner, Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min. Yet, not all the fans are on the same page.
The rumors suggest that the Vancouver Whitecaps are “nearing a total agreement” with Thomas Muller. Tom Bogert revealed that most of the negotiation is done. “Only final details remain. TAM (Targeted Allocation Money) in 2025, DP (designated Player) in 2026,” Bogert posted on X. However, the cost is not clear as they need to work out MLS’s “discovery rights” rule with Cincinnati.
Sources: The Vancouver Whitecaps are closing in on total agreement on personal terms with legend Thomas Müller.
Only final details remain. TAM in 2025, DP in 2026
Vancouver still in negotiations w/ Cincinnati for discovery rights
w/ @JacobsBen https://t.co/a7QXYNfsbI
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) July 28, 2025
However, the GiveMeSport reporter also explained that Cincinnati probably won’t be a huge hurdle in their way. Bogert also posted that, meanwhile, LAFC is making their move to acquire the Korean soccer star from Tottenham. While Heung-Min still has a year left in his contract, “Spurs won’t stand in Son’s way if he chooses to leave,” wrote Bogert. Now you may think that the MLS attracting more star power is further proof of the sport’s growth in North America, but now everyone sees it that way.
Soccer fans question every aspect of the rumored move
Far from being pleased, many fans questioned the authenticity of the rumors, especially those surrounding Son Heung-Min. “Son can go to any team…PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern. Why LAFC?” questioned one fan. Another netizen said the same thing. “Trade away playing in the Europa League and preparing for the World Cup for LAFC?” commented the X-user.
What’s more? Winning the Europa League means the Spurs have earned a ticket to the next UEFA Champions League season. So it’s no wonder that the fans found it hard to believe why the 33-year-old would trade prestigious European leagues for the MLS. And that’s not the only thing. The GiveMeSports insiders explained they won’t learn anything concrete before August 3.
As of now, Son Heung-Min is preparing to play a friendly against Newcastle United on August 3 in South Korea. “Sources don’t expect anything officially to happen before then,” read the report by Bogert and Jacobs. And now that I’ve mentioned Heung-Min’s age, that became the biggest issue for fans when discussing Thomas Muller’s reported transfer.
REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
“Isn’t he like a gazillion in soccer years?” commented one fan. At 35, the German soccer icon is still two years younger than Lionel Messi, and Inter Miami reportedly doesn’t want to keep the superstar around at least till he’s 39. At that point, it may be safe to assume that the Ballon d’Or winner will retire, and that’s exactly what the fans think.
While Muller’s accolades speak for themselves, many thought this move may be more about the soccer legend playing out the twilight of his stellar career. “Retirement FC,” commented one individual. Meanwhile, another commented, “I’m surprised he hadn’t retired already… He’s pretty much done,” the fan commented.
While the German icon did score eight goals and eight assists in 1,921 minutes with the team this season, the fan thinks he’ll move to the MLS just to retire quietly. “Perhaps worth a low-end salary, but not much more. It’s the classic MLS retirement league scenario,” explained the fan. However, do you agree? Tell us in the comments.
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