When Thomas Müller announced recently in an Instagram post that his next career move would be "across the big pond," it was quickly reported that the bright lights of Los Angeles would be his destination.

However, the soon to be 36-year-old, who has made a career of surprising opponents on the pitch, caught nobody off guard by announcing on Wednesday that he was indeed moving to the Pacific west coast — but north of the 49th parallel to Vancouver. The move had been Major League Soccer's worst-kept secret for days.

"Thomas is a world-class player — the ultimate "Raumdeuter" ("space interpreter"] — known for his elite chance creation, unmatched spatial awareness, and relentless off-the-ball movement," said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC CEO and sporting director, in a press release.

"This is a statement signing by our club and our ownership — a transformative moment for our club and our city."

In the same statement released by the Whitecaps, Müller said he had heard great things about Vancouver and was coming to the city to win.

"I’ve had great conversations with Axel Schuster and (head coach) Jesper Sorensen, and now I can't wait to play in front of the supporters and to see all of the fans come out to BC Place as we head towards the playoffs."

It's hard to overstate how much this will mean to Whitecaps supporters, who haven't been accustomed to their club splashing the cash like Canadian rivals Toronto FC and CF Montreal.

In his six years in Vancouver, Schuster has earned a reputation as a bargain hunter, often preferring to sign young players........

© Deutsche Welle