Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda’s move from English Championship club Watford to Portuguese giants Sporting CP is poised to be finalised as early as Thursday.
Both clubs have agreed on a transfer fee, understood to be about $A24m plus some add-ons.
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All that’s needed now is for Watford and German heavyweights Bayern Munich, Irankunda’s previous club, to settle on the terms of the sell-on clause.
However, an agreement is imminent, with 20-year-old former A-League prodigy Irankunda on the verge of flying to Portugal to start life at his new club.
Sporting opens its Liga Portugal 2026-27 campaign on Sunday (AEST) against Estrela da Amadora.
Meanwhile, Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has given a further indication that teenage Socceroos defender Lucas Herrington is joining the newly promoted English Premier League club.
On a social media post from Wednesday, Ilicali suggested that 18-year-old Herrington’s move from American Major Soccer League club Colorado Rapids to Hull had been “fully agreed” between the clubs and the deal was in the “paperwork process”.
The fee for the ex-Brisbane Roar centre-back is reportedly an Australian record transfer of more than $A30m.
Pressure grows on Infantino and FIFA | 00:52
Ilicali also posted a message to Hull fans that included: “After hard work, we are about to bring most of our targets to our club and gave up some of our targets because of unnecessary budgets.
“I am confident you will see a team on the pitch that will make all of us proud.”
Last weekend, Ilicali told the BBC that Herrington was a “future star” and Hull was “very close” to signing him.
Meanwhile, Melbourne City is poised to sign Danish midfielder Emiliano Marcondes, who parted ways with English Championship club Norwich City last month.
Danish football publication Tipbladet has reported that 31-year-old Marcondes, whose previous clubs also include Brentford, Bournemouth and Hibernian, will link with the Melbourne club.
ANGE AND RONALDO FINALLY MEET
It was the pre-season image that Australian football fans have been waiting for.
And it finally came overnight with Al-Nassr boss Ange Postecoglou finally meeting his star player, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was reporting to training for the first time since the end of the World Cup.
The pair shook hands and Postecoglou offered a hearty smile before pulling in one of the greatest players off all time for a warm Australian hug.