Deni Bouanga (32, LAFC), Son Heung-min's (34, LAFC) reliable partner, is receiving an irresistible courtship from a prestigious Brazilian club.
Football outlet OneFootball quoted U.S. soccer journalists Tom Bogert and Christian Moraes on social media on the 2nd (Korean time), reporting that Fluminense made an official offer to sign LAFC's key forward Bouanga.
According to the report, the amount Fluminense offered is about $15 million (about 21.8 billion won). Earlier, LAFC had flatly rejected an offer of $13 million (about 18.9 billion won) from Inter Miami this winter.
Bouanga has established himself as a star symbolizing Major League Soccer (MLS) over the past three seasons. In particular, in the 2025 season he was not only a finalist for the league MVP but also made the best 11 for a third consecutive year, consistently demonstrating his abilities.
Bouanga gained even more attention above all for his chemistry with Son Heung-min. After Son joined in midseason last year, Bouanga's destructive power increased further through the 'Heung-bu duo'.
Bouanga, who joined LAFC in August 2022, has 101 goals and 42 assists in 152 matches. In particular, he has written a remarkable record in MLS alone: 65 goals and 25 assists in 101 appearances.
The Gabon national team player Bouanga had already received a $13 million offer from Inter Miami, known as Lionel Messi's (39) team, but LAFC rejected it. However, with Fluminense setting a higher price of $15 million, LAFC's dilemma is expected to deepen.
It would be painful for LAFC to give up Bouanga, who could be a core part of a title challenge with Son Heung-min in the 2026 season. However, a transfer fee exceeding 20 billion won for a player entering his 30s is hard to ignore.
Locally, analysts said, "LAFC has no urgent reason to let Bouanga go and regards him as a central asset for the team alongside Son Heung-min," while also noting, "the amount Fluminense offered could be a shockingly high level that LAFC would find hard to refuse."
Meanwhile, Bouanga recently indirectly expressed his regret over a failed transfer on his social media, so Fluminense's offer could once again sway his feelings.
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