'Global icon' Son joins LAFC from Spurs in MLS record deal

South Korea star Son Heung-min said he was “here to win” on Wednesday as Major League Soccer's (MLS) Los Angeles FC welcomed the arrival of the ‘global icon’ from Tottenham.

- 

The 33-year-old will reportedly cost an MLS record $26 million transfer fee, according to ESPN and The Athletic, after a decade in the Premier League where he became a household name.

“I'm here to win, and I will perform,” he said at an introductory press conference at BMO Stadium that was packed with US and South Korean media, fans and luminaries, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

He was already itching to get to work with his new teammates, after watching them beat Mexican club Tigres UANL 2-1 in a Leagues Cup match on Tuesday night amid rabid support from fans energized by rumors of his signing.

“It was just, like, insane,” he said. “I just wanted to run onto the pitch and show my performance.”

An emotional Son announced on Saturday in his homeland that he would be leaving Spurs, just months after ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought by lifting the Europa League as captain.

He leaves as Tottenham's fifth-highest goalscorer of all-time with 173 goals in 454 appearances.

“Sonny is a global icon and one of the most dynamic and accomplished players in world football,” said LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington.