Socceroos teen breaks Aussie record with $33m Premier League move

Socceroos teenager Lucas Herrington is set to become Australia’s most expensive football transfer ever.

According to The Athletic, Premier League club Hull City have reached an agreement with Herrington’s current team Colorado Rapids to sign the 18-year-old for the upcoming season.

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The deal is reportedly for a fixed transfer fee of $24 million plus add-ons worth more than $8.5m.

Once confirmed, it will be the highest transfer fee ever paid for an Australian, beating Harry Souttar’s move from Stoke City to Leicester City ($23m) in 2023.

If the add-on fees are paid out, it will be the second-highest MLS transfer fee.

It has been a rollercoaster journey for the young defender over the last 12 months. In January he had just made the move from the A-League to the MLS.

Previously signed to the Brisbane Roar, Herrington was sold to the Rapids for a fee of $800,000. His deal included sell-on clauses.

Had the Roar not sold their 20 per cent sell-on rights for Herrington in exchange for cash, the club could’ve pocketed $6.5m for Herrington’s move to Hull FC.

Even though his time at the Rapids was short, the MLS will not let Herrington out of his deal that runs through to 2029 for a song. The club ensured a 15 per cent sell-on fee for any future sale of the defender will be placed in his transfer agreement.

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Herrington’s 18 games in Rapids colours, 16 of which he started in, set him up for both an international debut in March and a MLS All-Star selection.

Just three months after making his Socceroos debut, he played at the World Cup.

While at the World Cup, the teenager become an international sensation, drawing the eyes of Liverpool FC and Barcelona scouts while representing his country.

Herrington started in Australia’s third group stage match against Paraguay and then backed up for a penalty shootout defeat, where he stepped up but missed his shot, against Egypt in the round of 32.

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Despite missing the shot, Herrington received encouragement from Swedish great Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who praised him for taking on such a big task at a young age.

He also offered for Herrington to reach out if he wanted someone to lean on.

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali described Herrington as a “future star” when asked earlier this week if the club was in the race to win his signature.

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“He’s got very big potential, a very young boy,” he told the BBC.

“We are very close, very close [on finalising the deal.”

If Herrington is fielded in Hull’s first game of the new season, he will take on English giants Manchester City at his new team’s home ground.

That match is scheduled to kick off at 9.30pm AEST on August 22.

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Herrington is not the only Australian star who will now feature in a top five league this season, with Paul Okon-Engstler signing with FC Koln in the Bundesliga and Patrick Beach with Troyes in Ligue 1.

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