So, Thomas Muller has been the talk of the town this summer! The legendary Bayern Munich forward is getting ready to kick off a new adventure with the Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer. Muller is wrapping up an impressive career at Bayern, where he made over 750 appearances and racked up numerous honors, including two Champions League titles.

Now, he’s ready to share his experience and soccer smarts in MLS. It looks like Vancouver is close to wrapping up the final agreement for his discovery rights, which means he should be able to join the team soon, even with all the tricky MLS roster rules in play. However, there’s this really exciting statistic hanging around with this move.

On X, reporter Ben Steiner shared some info about it. He mentioned, “According to our Sports Illustrated team in Germany, Thomas Muller’s Whitecaps salary structure is as follows. 2025 (TAM): $687,000. 2026 (DP): $7.5 million. Whitecaps could become top 5 in total salary in MLS for 2026.” This setup shows how the strategy works for bringing a global star into the MLS while sticking to the rules.

So, by putting Muller under TAM for 2025, Vancouver gets around the issue of having just three DP slots, which are already taken up by big names like Ryan Gauld and Andres Cubas. This way, they’re all set to boost him to marquee status the next year. The nearly $7.5 million deal really shows how highly Muller is valued in North America, and it also highlights Vancouver’s desire to go head-to-head with the biggest spenders in MLS.

Muller’s financial outlay puts him among the highest-paid players in MLS history, right up there with Lionel Messi, who is said to earn over $20 million. Having Muller on the team could really help the Whitecaps climb the Western Conference standings and also enhance their international presence and commercial attractiveness.

With MLS growing, it’s interesting to see how clubs are getting creative with their salary strategies to bring in big-name players while still keeping an eye on the budget. However, how emotional was Muller’s departure from his long-time club?

Thomas Muller went candid about his departure

Thomas Muller wrapped up an incredible 25-year journey with Bayern Munich during his last home game on May 10, 2025. At the Allianz Arena, Muller hit a big milestone with his 750th match, and it was a moment to remember! Fans, teammates, and club leaders all came together to show their appreciation, with the stadium decked out in a huge tifo featuring his name and a special gift from club president Herbert Hainer.

Stepping onto the pitch to lift the Bundesliga trophy, it wasn’t titles or statistics that defined the moment—but the overwhelming sense of appreciation and closure surrounding one of Bayern’s most enduring figures.

In his farewell speech, Muller looked back on a career defined by loyalty, intelligence, and passion, saying, “We all knew this moment would come. I’m happy we brought the title back to Munich. The appreciation you gave me is unique. 25 years at this club, the stadium has always been full – the development of the club has been impressive, I’m happy to have helped and contributed. We reached the top of European football. I’ll miss the feeling of scoring goals in front of a full stadium, but especially the relationships with my teammates and coaches.”

Muller shared that one of the things he’ll miss the most is scoring in front of a packed stadium and, more than anything, the camaraderie of locker room life. He highlighted the connections he’s made with legendary players like Robben, Ribery, Lewandowski, and Kane. Even though his time playing in Munich has come to a close, the respect and admiration he gained will always be a big part of his incredible journey at FC Bayern.