Thomas Müller is in talks to join the Vancouver Whitecaps this summer, sources confirmed to The Athletic.
The World Cup winner announced his next adventure would come “across the pond” in a video over the weekend.
What happened?
Müller, 35, is expected to sign with Vancouver on a non-designated player deal, at least initially.
The move is pending an agreement between the Whitecaps and FC Cincinnati for Müller’s MLS “discovery” rights.
Discovery rights are a mechanism whereby MLS teams claim the right to negotiate with a player.
Why it matters for Thomas Müller
Müller would provide a midseason boost to Vancouver, which was one of the best teams in the league to start the season.
The Whitecaps lost four of five from June 12 to July 12, but have won twice and drawn once in their last three.
What comes next?
The asking price for the discovery rights from Cincinnati is in the neighborhood of $400,000.
Müller had 250 goals and 223 assists with Bayern, winning 33 trophies, including 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues.
He scored 10 goals across four World Cups with Germany, winning the Golden Boot in 2010 and the Silver Ball after the Germans’ triumph in 2014.
Müller was initially insisting on a designated player deal during talks with Cincinnati.
Those demands appear to have dropped, however, as reports indicate that Vancouver could sign him on a deal in the range of max targeted allocation money (TAM), or around $750,000 for the remainder of 2025.
The German forward would be the second World Cup winner to join MLS in this summer window.
Inter Miami signed Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul last Friday.
Müller would undoubtedly become the highest-profile signing in the Whitecaps’ MLS history.
The Whitecaps did develop Alphonso Davies before selling him to Bayern, where the left back became one of the best in the world at his position playing as Müller’s teammate.
Müller even coined Davies’ “Road Runner” nickname.