Watford defender set for medical at MLS club who are also interested in Heung-min Son

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Watford have been extremely busy in the summer transfer window, with Paulo Pezzolano starting to put his stamp on this team.

Nestory Irankunda left Bayern Munich for the Hornets earlier in July, while they won the race for Vivaldo Semedo, who made the switch to Vicarage Road from Udinese.

However, there has been a fresh focus on Ryan Porteous with LAFC interested in the Scottish defender. Now, it has emerged just how much the MLS side will pay for the centre-back.

While it may look like a sideways step, there is a reason why a move to the USA could be extremely enticing for the 26-year-old who spent part of last season on loan at Preston North End away from Watford.

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Ryan Porteous set for LAFC medical ahead of Watford departure

Porteous played just 22 times for the Hornets in 2024/25, scoring twice from central defence before heading to the Lilywhites to see out the campaign.

Now, it looks as though he is not in Pezzolano’s plans and Anthony Joseph has reported that the Scotland international has flown to the USA for a medical at LAFC.

A fee of £872,000 has been agreed between the two clubs, with Watford also working a 50% sell-on clause into the deal. Ironically, this is the same sell-on clause that is in Irankunda’s contract.

The opportunity to play abroad is something that has been hard to turn down for Porteous, and there is perhaps another reason why a move to Los Angeles will excite the defender so much.

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LAFC are also in the market for Heung-min Son

For Watford, it’s a deal that allows them to carry on moving away from a squad that has failed in their attempts to return the Hornets to the Premier League, while the player gets a chance for a brand new challenge.

He’s not the only player from the England divisions that LAFC are looking at, with GiveMeSport reporting that they have Heung-min Son on their radar.

The Tottenham Hotspur star would be a statement signing for the MLS side as they look to bring in more superstars to the US league, and Porteous will be keen to play alongside someone of Son’s quality.

Yet for Watford, bringing in nearly £1m for a player who would have been rotational is extremely good business and all parties will be pleased.