Australia’s leading footballers have entered a busy transfer period following the World Cup, with Nestory Irankunda and Lucas Herrington expected to join prominent European clubs this week.
Only 18, Herrington is poised to complete a transfer from Colorado Rapids to newly promoted Premier League side Hull City. The agreement could surpass the Australian transfer record of $38.3m, set when Leicester signed Harry Souttar from Stoke in 2023.
Irankunda arrived in Lisbon on Tuesday to finalise his switch from Watford to Sporting, with the deal reportedly valued at about $25m plus additional payments. A crowd of local reporters welcomed him at the airport and asked whether he intended to perform a Michael Jackson-style celebration after scoring. “Of course,” the smiling 20-year-old replied.
The lighthearted moment aside, these transfers represent significant opportunities for two of Australia’s most promising young players. The moves could shape their long-term progress and help prepare them for the national team’s next major challenge, the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January.
Herrington may immediately face the pressure of helping a team battle to remain in the Premier League, while Irankunda could soon experience Champions League football in Sporting’s green-and-white colours.
“It is an excellent move for him,” said Australia teammate and mentor Awer Mabil. “It is also the ideal club for him to make the next stage of his development, and I believe even greater opportunities will follow.”
Irankunda found the net for Australia while starting on the wing against Turkey before making a strong impact from the bench in the loss to the United States. He was later deployed as a central forward when Australia exited the World Cup in the round of 32. Those performances came after an encouraging but uneven season with Watford in the Championship, following short spells in Germany and Switzerland.
“Nes [Irankunda] has developed considerably,” Mabil said. “His improvement over the past few years is clear, and he demonstrated it again at the World Cup. We need to keep supporting and advising him, and I am confident he will succeed there.”
Irankunda and Herrington are part of a wider wave of player movement. Six members of Australia’s 26-man World Cup squad have already joined different clubs, while others, including goalkeeper Paul Izzo and Harry Souttar, continue to attract transfer interest.
Table outlining Australian players’ transfers since the World Cup
Mabil, 30, decided to return home after spending a decade in Europe, leaving Spanish club Castellón to join Melbourne City in the A-Leagues. “This is the right moment to return,” said the 2023 Young Australian of the Year. “When I first moved to Europe, I had goals I wanted to fulfil, and hard work allowed me to achieve them. I then considered the future and how I could contribute to football in Australia. I believe I am at the ideal age to make a meaningful difference.”
He enters a Melbourne City squad that may have seen Patrick Beach depart for Ligue 1 club Troyes but still includes national-team colleagues Matt Leckie and Aziz Behich. Both players helped persuade Mabil, a proud South Australian, to join the Melbourne side. “I have a strong relationship with them, and I wanted to return home, build a legacy and give everything while I can still perform at my best,” he said. “I have always said Australia is the finest country, but we must also strengthen our domestic league. Everyone who can contribute should play their part, and I feel I can help at this point in my career.”
Mabil insists his return has not reduced his ambitions with the national team, despite describing his World Cup experience as emotionally mixed. “The entire country should take pride in what we achieved, but as a competitor it is difficult not to think about what might have been. The match against Egypt was decided by penalties, yet I believe we had an opportunity to win it.”
Coach Tony Popovic’s choices during that match have faced examination, particularly his decision to replace Beach with Maty Ryan for the penalty shootout. Popovic’s current agreement with the national side runs through to the conclusion of the Asian Cup.
Mabil entered the Egypt match during extra time and converted his attempt in the shootout. He believes Popovic has performed an “outstanding” job and hopes the coach remains in charge. “He has united the players and established an excellent base within the squad, and he deserves recognition for that,” Mabil said. “As a nation, we must continue supporting one another regardless of circumstances. The World Cup raised expectations, which is positive because we now want to advance even further.”
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
