Negotiating with a global superstar presents a unique set of challenges for any club's front-office staff.
That was the task before LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington this summer, as the club's pursuit of South Korean and Tottenham Hotspur legend Son Heung-Min ramped up in earnest.
"For quite a while, it felt like an impossibility given what he was doing in his career, and what have you," Thorrington told host Max Bretos on the club's Black & Gold Insider show.
"But we saw the opportunity with what was going on at Spurs and his own personal situation, and I had been in touch with his agent for years, and finally got the chance to sit down with him in the middle of June.
"... From that moment, I knew there was a chance."
Presenting a vision
What started as a fantasy became a reality this week, as the Black & Gold announced Son has joined the club for a new league-record transfer fee that's reportedly upwards of $26.5 million.
To close a deal of that magnitude, Thorrington stressed it was a matter of selling LAFC's culture, and the seismic impact Son's global profile would have on the city.
"I think the privilege I have is that I'm not selling snake oil. I think I can be honest about who we are as a club," Thorrington said. "I think at the beginning it was selling a dream, so that conversation with Carlos [Vela] was different from this one.
"But I think people probably can sense how passionate I am about this club, and how much I believe in it. And I think that is what translates well when you're on the receiving end of that is to say, 'Wow, now I can get a better sense as to what LAFC is.' I think it was my job then to just be open and say, 'This is who we are, this is why we think this will be great – does it match with what you want to do?'"
South Korea icon
The move brings a true global superstar to Los Angeles, with Son arguably the highest-profile arrival to MLS since Lionel Messi's historic move to Inter Miami CF in 2023.
While Thorrington avoided a direct comparison, the potential implications of Son's presence are already apparent locally and abroad. The 33-year-old is one of Asia's all-time most revered athletes, both for his decade-long run of dominance with Tottenham and as the captain of the South Korea national team.
"Without making individual comparisons of Son, Messi – the level of interest in this player is unlike anything I've seen. It's absolutely remarkable," said Thorrington. "And I think for us, it does introduce us to some new fans as well.
"I think I could do my best to wrap my head around it, but I still have a real sense that we don't yet know how big this guy is," he added.
"It is mind-blowing the level of iconic status this guy has. I think we have these incredibly lofty expectations as to how big this is, and I have a strong suspicion it'll be bigger than we can imagine."
