Whitecaps’ Davies bound for Bayern Munich in 2019
VANCOUVER — Bob Lenarduzzi says soccer phenom Alphonso Davies catches your eye the first time you watch him play.
Lenarduzzi, the Vancouver Whitecaps team president, says Davies has the talent to justify the record-breaking deal confirmed Wednesday that will send the 17-year-old midfielder from Major League Soccer to German Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich.
“You can hear the stadium start to pause when he gets the ball in our end because the anticipation is that he’s going to go coast to coast. And sometimes he does,” Lenarduzzi told media Wednesday.
“I think he’s a very rare individual because he’s got the whole package. He’s got the mental makeup and the ability.”
Multiple major soccer clubs were involved in weeks-long talks about acquiring the Canadian international, Lenarduzzi said, and there was a “significant difference” between the first offer and the final offer.
Interest from various clubs grew over the three weeks of talks as Davies continued to produce highlight reel-worthy goals on the field, he added.
In the end, Bayern Munich agreed to a transfer deal that the Whitecaps have said could amount to more than US$22 million — the most ever received by an MLS club in the league’s 23-year history.
The previous MLS transfer record was set in 2008 when Spanish club Villarreal spent US$10 million to acquire striker Jozy Altidore from the New York Red Bulls.
Davies said he had always dreamed of the moment where he would sign with a worldrenowned team.
“Now that the dream has come true, the work continues as always,” said Davies, who was in Philadelphia to sign the deal before Bayern played a friendly against Juventus on Wednesday night.
“I have to keep pushing and keep striving, and also keep being me on the field.”
Davies has tallied eight assists and three goals for Vancouver in league play this season, and is scheduled to play in next month’s MLS all-star game in Atlanta.
Davies is eligible to join Bayern in January 2019 when the international transfer window re-opens and will play out the rest of the MLS season with the Whitecaps.
Bayern has won a record 28 German soccer titles, and has captured the UEFA Champions League five times. The club’s director, Hasan Salihamidzic, posted about his newest player on Twitter, calling Davies a “huge talent.”
“At just 17, he has a bright future ahead of him. He offers a lot of promise for the future. Alphonso already possesses great ability, which is why a lot of top clubs were keen on him,” Salihamidzic said.
The Bundesliga powerhouse says the Ghana-born Davies, who has already made eight appearances for Canada, will join on Jan. 1, 2019 and that his contract will run through June 2023.
Media reports say Bayern is paying an initial fee of 11 million euros ($13 million), with another 9 million euros to follow in possible bonus payments.
“He’s a fine young man who has been successful at every level he’s played at,” Lenarduzzi said on Wednesday. “He’s got the ability, but he’s also got the personality and the temperament to shine at this level as well.
“I think the ceiling is endless.”