Report: Whitecaps' Alphonso Davies close to record-breaking Bayern Munich transfer
We knew this day was coming.
Alphonso Davies’ days with the Vancouver Whitecaps might already be over, as the club is reportedly close to an MLS-record transfer with Bayern Munich.
Davies is close to a $12 million USD transfer to the German powerhouse, according to a report from Kristian Dyer of The Athletic. Former Whitecaps beat writer Marc Weber is reporting that the deal is “all but done.”
The fee, which the Whitecaps would receive all of given that Davies came up through their academy system, could increase with clauses based on Davies’ performance.
The current MLS transfer record is $10 million, a fee garnered by the New York Red Bulls when they sold Jozy Altidore (now with Toronto FC) to Spanish club Villareal in 2008.
Davies, 17, can’t be officially moved until he turns 18 in November, but the Whitecaps could hold him out of matches to secure the deal. The Whitecaps suspiciously held Davies away from training on Friday, and his status is “unknown” for Saturday’s derby match in Seattle.
The teenaged phenom has been Vancouver’s best player this season – his third with the Whitecaps after making his MLS debut at age 15. Davies has started 17 of 20 matches this year, scoring three goals and adding a team-leading eight assists.
Davies was the lone Whitecaps player named to the MLS All-Star Game, and scored the most impressive goal of the season last week against DC United.
Davies has been scouted by many of the biggest teams in Europe for some time, with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, and Manchester United all reportedly interested in his services.
The Athletic reports that although multiple teams in the Premier League are interested in acquiring Davies, he could have difficulty getting a work permit to play in England.
While the prospect of losing the team’s best and most exciting player will be disappointing for Whitecaps fans, this is a huge win for the club. It’s also a huge win for Canadian soccer.
Davies, who was born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his family fled Liberia during the civil war, moved to Edmonton at age five and joined the Whitecaps residency program when he was 13.
Receiving Canadian citizenship last year, Davies has played six matches for the national team, and represents hope for a struggling soccer nation. With Canada likely getting an automatic berth into the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the host countries, Davies, who will have turned 25 by then, could be Canada’s best player.
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