Barcelona have entered the competition to sign Lucas Herrington, the 18-year-old Australian centre-back currently playing for Colorado Rapids, according to TEAMtalk. The Catalan club are now vying with a number of Premier League sides for the signature of the highly-rated defender, who impressed during the recent World Cup.
Herrington recently completed a move to Colorado from Brisbane Roar in January for a fee of under £1million, but his performances at the World Cup have quickly increased his value. Despite Australia’s round of 16 defeat to Egypt on penalties, where Herrington missed his spot-kick, his composed displays against Paraguay and Egypt attracted attention from scouts across Europe.
Competition for Herrington is fierce, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Everton all expressing interest. Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, and the City Football Group are also monitoring the situation, alongside Bundesliga clubs Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, and Ligue 1 sides Monaco and Lille. Championship clubs Burnley and Watford have also registered their interest.
Colorado Rapids are reportedly open to selling Herrington, but would potentially prefer a loan deal that would allow the teenager to continue his development with regular first-team football for another 12 months before a permanent move. This option is believed to be appealing to several of the interested clubs. Herrington’s emergence on the international stage has quickly made him one of the most sought-after young defenders this summer.
Securing Herrington would represent a long-term investment for Barcelona, bolstering their defensive options with a promising talent. The increased competition from multiple European powerhouses suggests a potentially high transfer fee will be required to secure his services.
