The Lucas Herrington transfer to the Premier League has reportedly moved from speculation to done deal.

According to The Athletic and nine.com.au, Hull City have struck an agreement with Colorado Rapids to sign the 18-year-old Socceroos defender, in a move set to become the most expensive transfer in Australian football history.

The reported fee would blow past the roughly A$27-28 million Leicester City paid for Harry Souttar back in 2023 (£15m), with some reports suggesting Herrington's move could land closer to A$33 million once add-ons are included.

That is a staggering price for a centre-back who was playing in the A-League barely 18 months ago, and it underlines just how quickly his stock has risen since a breakout World Cup campaign at only 18.

News of Herrington's looming switch broke via a widely shared post from Italian transfer journalist Rudy Galetti, who described negotiations as being in their final stages and a move to England as highly likely.

Reports have since indicated the defender himself is pushing hard for the transfer, having long dreamed of testing himself in the Premier League.

Lucas Herrington Transfer Nears Premier League Move

It is not an isolated story. Barely hours after the Herrington reports emerged, word spread that Sydney FC winger Akol Akon, still just 17, is attracting serious interest from Major League Soccer, adding to the sense that Australian teenagers are suddenly hot property overseas.

Galetti also reported that Sydney FC are in talks over a deal worth around A$2 million for Akon, though no destination club has been confirmed.

Sources close to the negotiations describe discussions as ongoing and a transfer as a genuine possibility rather than idle chatter.

There is a built-in delay, though. Akon cannot legally move abroad until he turns 18 in May 2027, meaning he will see out the rest of the A-League season with Sydney FC regardless of how talks progress.

He was absent from Sydney's pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur on July 29, a match the Sky Blues lost on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with the club citing a minor knock rather than transfer distraction.

Akon's rise has been rapid since he crossed the Sydney divide from Western Sydney Wanderers. 

He set up three goals in a Sydney Derby last season alone, and he has picked up exactly where he left off this campaign with another three assists in the Australia Cup against Bayswater City, form that has clearly not gone unnoticed by clubs offshore.

Why Akol Akon Could Join MLS

Back with Herrington, his path from A-League prospect to Premier League target has been extraordinary by any measure.

He only made his senior debut for Colorado Rapids in February, yet he became the youngest Socceroo to start a men's World Cup match, starting against Paraguay in the group stage before featuring in Australia's penalty shootout exit to Egypt.

That tournament exposure appears to have accelerated interest that was already building.

The Athletic and the New York Times have reported that Barcelona had an opening bid rejected for Herrington back in June, while Liverpool reportedly sent scouts to watch him during the MLS season, underlining just how many major European clubs were circling before Hull City moved decisively.

Herrington's form since has only added weight to his price tag. He was named in the MLS All Stars squad that beat a Liga MX All Stars side 4-3 on July 29, lining up alongside genuine global superstars in Son Heung-min and Thomas Müller, a remarkable stage for a player who started the year in Australian domestic football.

Australia's Growing Wave of MLS Exports

He is not the only Australian making that leap to the American league, either.

A-League Golden Boot winner Luka Jovanovic recently joined San Jose Earthquakes, adding to a growing cohort of Australians now plying their trade in MLS and suggesting a genuine pipeline has opened up between the A-League and clubs in the United States.

For now, attention turns to the fine print. 

Herrington's move to Hull City reportedly edges closer to being finalised, while Akon's next step waits on a calendar date in May 2027 and the end of Sydney FC's season, but both cases point to the same story: Australian teenagers are being watched, and paid for, on a scale the game here has not seen before.