Vancouver makes a splash, signing Thomas Müller after Bayern Munich exit | MLS

The former Bayern Munich striker, Thomas Müller, joins the Whitecaps of Vancouver, undoubtedly the biggest signature in the history of the club.

Müller, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, will join the Whitecaps for the rest of the season. The conditions of the agreement were not published. It includes an option that would make Müller a designated player for 2026.

“Whitecaps – Let’s make history,” said Müller in a video he published online online on Wednesday that showed him a vancouver jet.

Müller, 35, has spent the last 17 years with Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, helping the club win 13 championship championships and 33 titles in total during this period. He scored 250 goals in 756 appearances with Bayern in all competitions, but his contract was not renewed after last season.

During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Müller scored five goals. He also scored five goals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, winning the golden boot.

Müller’s last match with Bayern came this summer at the Club World Cup, losing 2-0 in the quarter-final in Paris Saint-Germain in Atlanta. He entered the match as a late substitute.

Müller joined the Bayern Academy at the age of 10 in 2000. He made his senior debut under Jürgen Klinsmann in 2008 and his breakthrough went under Louis Van Gaal the following season.

The club announced in a joint statement in April that it would be its last season. In an article on social networks, Müller said he understood Bayern’s decision “even if it did not reflect my personal wishes.”

“Thomas Müller is the definition of a Bavarian fairy tale career; he grew up in Bavaria and with Bayern,” said club president Herbert Hainer. “No one has won any more Bundesliga titles and 33 trophies in total so far say long. It ranks among the most remarkable personalities in the History of Bayern of FC.”

Müller retired from international football after the European championship last year, after scoring 45 goals in 131 appearances for Germany.

The Whitecaps have obtained the Discovery Rights of the Müller MLLS of FC Cincinnati in exchange for $ 400,000 in general allocation money to complete the signature. He will occupy an international list place.

“Thomas is a natural leader whose passion for the game is contagious. This is a signature of declaration of our club and our property – a transformer moment for our club and our city,” said Axel Schuster, director and CEO of Vancouver Sporting.

Müller is expected to arrive in Vancouver next week. His first practice and his introductory press conference with the club are scheduled for Thursday.

In a video provided by Whitecaps, Müller said: “They (fans) can expect that I am always 100%. You can watch my skills in YouTube videos or more TV shows, but you can expect me to go. And for me, that’s the most important part.”

The Whitecaps (13-5-6) are second in the classification of the Western MLS conference behind the San Diego FC expansion.