The Scotland international looks primed to make his debut alongside the English Premier League icon this weekend.
Scotland international Ryan Porteous could make his debut for new side Los Angeles FC this weekend alongside English Premier League icon Son Heung-Min after the MLS outfit confirmed the arrival of the Tottenham Hotspur captain on a long-term deal.
The South Korean forward rubber stamped his move to America this week after a decade long spell at Tottenham, moving to the BMO Stadium for an MLS record fee of £19.7million, penning a deal that could last until the summer of 2029, and has been included in the squad for their game against Chicago Fire on Saturday alongside Porteous.
Son Hueng-Min is set to play alongside Scotland international centre-back Ryan Porteous at Los Angeles FC this season.placeholder image
Son Hueng-Min is set to play alongside Scotland international centre-back Ryan Porteous at Los Angeles FC this season. | Getty Images
Son, who captained Spurs to Europa League glory in May with a 1-0 win over Manchester United, confirmed his departure from the North London club last week following a hugely successful 10-year stint that saw him score 127 league goals for the club and win their Player of the Season award three times.
The 31-year-old will now link up with 13-cap Scotland defender Porteous at his new club, after the ex-Hibs man opted to leave EFL Championship Watford to make his move to Los Angeles on Monday. Signing a three-year deal with Steve Cherundolo’s side that will keep him at the club until 2028, Porteous also has an option to extend his stay by a further year.
Out of favour at Vicarage Road, the Dalkeith-born centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan to Preston North End, where he made a total of 11 appearances under his former Easter Road boss Paul Heckingbottom, though the Lilywhites opted against making the 26-year-old’s move permanent.
Linked with a return to the Scottish Premiership shortly afterwards, tentative reports claimed both Hibs and Rangers have mulled over a move for the defender, though nothing concrete materialised, leaving Los Angeles FC to purchase his ‘Discovery Rights’ for a fee of $100,000 from Toronto FC. This means only the team with the resulting transfer rights (in this case, Toronto FC) is allowed to negotiate with the player, unless MLS clubs want to sign him, and must purchase the rights from whoever has them.
“We’re excited to welcome Ryan to LAFC. He brings competitiveness, leadership qualities, and the type of mentality we value at this club,” said Los Angeles Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington. “His experience at both the international and club level, along with his defensive intensity and ability to play out of the back, will be a great addition to our group as we push toward our goals this season.”
The latest Scot to try his luck in the MLS, Porteous has joined the likes of Ryan Gauld, Lewis Morgan and Johnny Russell by playing his football Stateside, and follows in the footsteps of global football icons Giorgio Chiellini, Olivier Giroud, and ex-Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, all of whom have represented the club in recent years. Currently in sixth place in the Western Conference, his new side could seal their spot in the end-of-season MLS playoffs with a victory.
Scheduled to kick-off at 1.30am on Sunday morning, Los Angeles will face Chicago Fire at the SeatGeek Stadium, with the game able to be watched live via the MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, which costs £14.99 per month or £69 for the remainder of the season.