After starring at the 2026 World Cup for Australia, Lucas Herrington is leaving Colorado’s MLS side for the Premier League. The Rapids announced Wednesday that they have transferred Herrington, 18, to Hull City for a club-record transfer fee.
Hull City will pay at least $15 million, with add-ons that could push the fee to more. The Rapids also have a 15% sell-on clause that could net the club even more money down the line.
The transfer was all but inevitable for Herrington, 18, who was far too good to keep in Colorado after Herrington became the youngest Australian to start a World Cup match earlier this summer — and the youngest MLS player to do so. Prior to his World Cup debut, Herrington quickly became a fixture in the Colorado lineup after signing with Rapids ahead of the 2026 MLS season, appearing in all of the club’s 18 MLS matches and starting in all but one. He logged 1,531 minutes, ranking second on the team, and scored one goal, while ranking among the league’s best in multiple stat categories.
The 18-year-old had been rumored to be of interest to European giants such as Barcelona and Liverpool. While Hull City, newly promoted to the Premier League, isn’t a giant, Herrington will see a much bigger spotlight in one of the biggest leagues in the world.
“Lucas is a special talent whose elite mentality and character match his outstanding ability on the field,” Rapids president Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of everything he accomplished during his time with the Rapids and excited for him as he takes this next step in his career. Identifying, recruiting, and developing the best young talent, locally, nationally and internationally, is a key part of our club strategy.”
Herrington has a good chance of starting with the Tigers.
“What an incredible and well-deserved achievement for Lucas to be heading to the Premier League,” Rapids coach Matt Wells said in a statement. “From the outset, Lucas embraced absolutely every element of the environment we set out to create here. In our first meeting, he expressed to me his ambition was to play ‘some minutes’ this season in the MLS. Just a few months later, he played in a World Cup and is now Premier League-bound. He’s a brilliant example of the type of people we want to bring to Colorado.”
It also feels like the perfect investment for the Colorado Rapids. Colorado spent around $1 million to sign Herrington in January. The Rapids also bought out his sell-on clause from his old club, Brisbane Roar in Australia, for around $400,000. That move alone saved the Rapids upwards of $8 million.
This transfer breaks the current Rapids outbound transfer fee record by a large margin. Colorado got $8 million for Djordje Mihailovic in the middle of the 2025 season. They got $7.8 million for Moïse Bombito when he switched to OGC Nice in France.
Herrington more than doubles both of those previous records and also finds himself among the highest transfer fees in MLS history. A sell-on fee might boost him over the $30 million man, Jhon Duran, who holds the current record. It is the highest-ever MLS center-back transfer, a record previously held by the Rapids’ Bombito.
Colorado has already seemingly bought Herrington’s replacement, Loïc Williams. A backline that consists of Rob Holding and Williams is league quality, and Noah Cobb is a good option off the bench. Another center back could be good for depth. Wells has already alluded to adding another attacking player soon. It’s unlike the Rapids to spend big on a player, but another signing like Youssef Maziz is very much doable with the influx of cash.
“When I landed in Colorado in January, I had left Australia for the first time to come across the world and chase a dream. The Rapids and their fans took a chance on me and made me feel at home from day one,” Herrington said in a statement. “I’m grateful to my family, my teammates and coach Matt Wells, and Padraig Smith for believing in me, supporting my growth and giving me the opportunity to take the next steps in my career. To the fans: thank you for embracing a kid from Brisbane as one of your own. Colorado has given me so much, and I’ll always be proud to have been a Rapid. I’m excited for what comes next, but I’ll never forget my time here. Thank you.”
