Denis Bouanga proving why he is one of MLS' best players | OneFootball

The Black and Gold qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup at the eleventh hour after beating America in a last-second qualifier, before taking one point from three matches. And after an early elimination in the Leagues Cup, LAFC decided to splurge an MLS-record fee of $26.5 million on Heung-min Son, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur.

As one of the greatest players to grace the Premier League in this century, and as the best Asian player in world soccer, Son has a global appeal that perhaps only Lionel Messi can rival in MLS. He's helped bring out a number of Korean supporters to LAFC matches, both home and away, and he's helped inject LAFC with a new dose of confidence and quality.

However, Son isn't quite LAFC's attacking talisman. That title still belongs to Denis Bouanga.

Born in Le Mans, France, Bouanga bounced around various French clubs before making the move to MLS in 2022, joining LAFC for $5 million. The Gabon international quickly made an impact, helping LA win the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup, whilst the following season would see him step into Gareth Bale's void and emerge as a key presence in attack.

Bouanga finished as the top scorer in MLS and helped LAFC reach the Concacaf Champions League Final in 2023, placing as the top African scorer in the entire game with a whopping 40 goals for club and country. He continued his superb form in 2024, helping them reach the Leagues Cup Final and win the U.S. Open Cup Final, and being named to the MLS Best XI for the second-straight year.

It's been more of the same for Bouanga this season, who surpassed Carlos Vela for the top scorer in LAFC history. And whereas other players might've struggled under the weight of a superstar signing, Bouanga has thrived and struck the kind of connection that him and Olivier Giroud never quite managed to achieve.

After bagging a goal vs. San Diego, Bouanga headed to Africa for the international break, where he bagged a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier vs. Seychelles, before returning in style with a hat-trick vs. in a 4-2 win San Jose. He then set up Son's third and final goal before putting the finishing touches on a 4-1 win in Salt Lake with a goal himself, before firing in a hat-trick in a 4-1 home win vs. Salt Lake.

"Bouanga is the best player in MLS when it comes to transitional, counter-attack situations," stated Union Omaha's Jeyhan Bhindi, who has spent over a decade coaching in the United States and Canada. "He's so aggressive when he has space to attack and is very good in the final third...what's more, he's doing all of this at a high speed."

At 30 years of age, Bouanga has established himself as a club icon for LAFC with 97 goals and 39 assists in 146 appearances. He sits atop the MLS Golden Boot race with 22 goals alongside Messi, although he has one fewer game left than the Argentine, with LA set to face St. Louis, Atlanta, and Toronto (all out of the playoff race) before traveling to Austin and Colorado.

LAFC sit fourth in the Western Conference, four points behind Minnesota and seven behind San Diego FC (with two games in hand on both), as well as points behind Vancouver. They have already booked their ticket to the postseason, and with Bouanga and Son clicking on all cylinders, the odds are in their favor as they look to continue their high-scoring form vs. St. Louis.