Aussie players are smashing transfer records. Does this benefit or harm Australian soccer?

Lucas Herrington celebrates Hull's upset win against Manchester United.

Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Images via Getty Images Last weekend, Lucas Herrington made his debut for Hull City in the English Premier League (EPL) after breaking the transfer record paid for an Australian soccer player.

The 18-year-old signed a five-year deal with the transfer fee estimated to be A$33 million.

It shattered the $26 million fee Leicester City paid for Harry Souttar’s move from Stoke City in 2023.

Herrington’s signing wasn’t the only recent mega-money deal for the 2026 Socceroos World Cup squad: just days after Herrington’s move, Alessandro Circati signed with Portuguese powerhouse Benfica, equalling Herrington’s $33 million transfer fee Nestory Irankunda agreed a deal with Portuguese giants Sporting for around $25 million goalkeeper Patrick Beach signed for an undisclosed fee with French club Troyes.

But does Australian soccer, and the A-League, benefit from these massive transfer fees? A fast rise and an eye-popping opportunity In September 2024, Herrington signed a three-year contract with Brisbane Roar.

But in August 2025, he transferred to US Major League Soccer (MLS) side Colorado Rapids on a contract running until 2029.

Colorado paid Brisbane $800,000 for Herrington.

After Herrington’s breakout World Cup performance , Hull targeted him, and on August 12 he signed a deal that broke the Rapids’ transfer fee record .

These transfer fees flow from club to club, with the athlete also having to agree on a salary with their new club.

Transfer fees are regularly made public but salaries are usually not disclosed.

How the money flows Generally speaking, clubs can generate revenue from player transfers through three main mechanisms: direct transfer fees, sell-on clauses and FIFA training awards .

A direct transfer fee is the initial payment made from the acquiring club to the selling club.

A sell-on clause allows the former club to receive a percentage of any future transfer fee if the player is subsequently transferred.