Following his record-breaking transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Major League Soccer, the president of Los Angeles Football Club says forward Son Heung-Min’s jersey is the best-selling jersey in all of sports right now — surpassing the likes of Lionel Messi and Lebron James.
Speaking to talkSPORT on Thursday, August 14, LAFC president and general manager John Thorrington said that, since joining the club about a week earlier, the 33-year-old South Korean’s jersey has been flying off shelves.
“This is now the second week where we’re not just talking about the highest-selling football jersey in the MLS,” he told talkSPORT host Andy Goldstein. “It is the highest-selling jersey of any sport in the world right now.”
Other athletes Son is outselling right now include Cristiano Ronaldo and Steph Curry. Messi has topped MLS’s last four lists of best-selling jerseys, but Son may be poised to take over that top spot in the next ranking. MLSStore.com is completely sold out of LAFC primary jerseys; authentic secondary jerseys with Son’s name and number 7 are selling for $195 US and replicas for $135 US. The store is also offering T-shirts with Son’s name and number for $40 US and sublimated “jersey style” plaques for $30 US.
talkSPORT also reports that LAFC ticket prices have skyrocketed since Son joined the team. For their match against San Diego FC on Saturday, August 31 — likely Son’s home debut — resale lower bowl tickets on Ticketmaster’s website are listed for as much as $1,400 US, while field level seats are listed at more than $3,500 US.
But Thorrington said the transfer will be judged by on-field results, not revenues. “The wisdom of this move will not be measured by commercial success, it will be measured by trophies and on-field success,” he said.
Son joined LAFC for a reported fee of up to $26.5 million US, a new MLS transfer record. It was the third time in just nine months the MLS transfer record had been broken. First, FC Cincinnati paid $16.2 million US for forward Kévin Denkey, and then Atlanta United signed Emmanuel Latte Lath for a reported $22 million US plus add-ons.
Son made his LAFC debut on Saturday, August 9, during a visit to Chicago Fire FC. While he didn’t register a goal or an assist after coming on as a substitute in the 61st minute, he did draw a penalty kick when Fire defender Carlos Terán tackled him inside the 18-yard box. LAFC forward Denis Bouanga slotted home the spot kick to tie the game at 2-2.
LAFC’s next match is on Saturday, August 16, against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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