Socceroos on the move: Lucas Herrington headlines post-World Cup transfers | Joey Lynch
Young Socceroos defender Lucas Herrington is closing in on a move from Colorado Rapids to newly promoted Premier League club Hull City, a deal set to make him the second most expensive footballer in Australian history. The 18-year-old, who recently became the youngest Australian to start a men's World Cup match, is one of several members of Tony Popovic's squad capitalising on their tournament performances to secure moves in Europe, reflecting growing scouting interest in Australian talent even outside traditional powerhouse clubs.
The reported fee is around £12.6m plus £4.4m in add-ons, just short of the Australian record £15m-plus-£5m deal that took Harry Souttar from Stoke City to Leicester in 2023, and it eclipses Hull's previous club-record £10m signing of Ryan Mason a decade ago. Brisbane Roar, Herrington's former club, stands to lose out after selling its sell-on fee back to Colorado Rapids for a reported $560,000, missing at least $4.8m in potential proceeds. Elsewhere, fellow Socceroos Paul-Okon Engstler has joined Bundesliga side FC Köln from Sydney FC, while goalkeeper Patrick Beach has completed a City Football Group move from Melbourne City to Ligue 1's Troyes.
- Lucas Herrington set for Hull City in near-record Australian transfer deal.
- Fee reported at roughly £12.6m plus £4.4m in add-ons.
- Fellow Socceroos Paul-Okon Engstler and Patrick Beach also secure European moves.
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Lucas Herrington is an 18-year-old defender who has come through at Colorado Rapids in the United States and recently became the youngest Australian to start a men's World Cup match. He plays for Australia's national men's team, known as the Socceroos, coached by Tony Popovic, and is now closing in on a big-money move to Hull City, a club that has just been promoted to England's Premier League.
Transfer fees are the sums clubs pay each other to release a player from their contract, and add-ons are extra payments triggered later by things like appearances or trophies. This deal would rank among the largest ever paid for an Australian player, behind only the transfer that took defender Harry Souttar from Stoke City to Leicester City in 2023.
The move is part of a wider pattern of Australian players attracting interest from European clubs after their performances at the World Cup, with teammates also moving to Germany's Bundesliga and France's Ligue 1. This matters because it points to growing recognition of Australian footballing talent abroad, while also raising questions for the smaller Australian clubs where these players started out, over how much money they receive when a player they developed is later sold on.