Okon-Engstler Joins FC Koln
Socceroos breakout star Paul Okon-Engstler has secured a move to Europe on the back of his impressive World Cup debut. The 21-year-old son of former Australian international turned assistant coach Paul Okon has agreed a €1 million ($A1.65m) deal with Bundesliga club FC Koln, according to multiple reports. He is set to undergo a medical and sign a four-year contract next week.
Okon-Engstler, who was born in Belgium during his father's playing career with Club Brugge and later spent time at Portuguese giants Benfica, was selected for the Socceroos' World Cup squad after his first full season with Sydney FC. He started the first game against Turkey and played a key role in Australia's 2-0 victory.
World Cup Performances
Okon-Engstler starred at the base of Australia's midfield in the 2-0 win over Turkey and received another start in the 2-0 loss to the United States. He was rested from the starting line-up for the 0-0 draw with Paraguay, playing 12 minutes off the bench, and had a 30-minute cameo in the Round of 32 shootout defeat to Egypt.
FC Koln, who regularly sell out their 50,000-seat stadium, finished three points clear of the relegation zone last season—their first back in the Bundesliga after a one-year stint in the second division.
Herrington Eyes European Move
Meanwhile, the Socceroos' other breakout star Lucas Herrington appears to be plotting his move to Europe. The 18-year-old currently plays in the US with the Colorado Rapids but has been pictured applying for a German passport—through his mother's heritage—at the consulate in Brisbane.
Herrington has previously been linked with Spanish giants Barcelona while German clubs Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, as well as Ligue 1 pair Monaco and Lille, have recently entered the conversation. Premier League clubs—including Liverpool and Manchester United—are also monitoring the defender, according to TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey.
Transfer Spotlight
Herrington's potential transfer was in the spotlight during the World Cup when it emerged his former A-League club Brisbane Roar accepted $560,000 from Colorado to scrap their lucrative sell-on clause. That decision could cost Brisbane millions from a transfer fee between the Rapids and a European club.
Okon-Engstler and Herrington are not the only Socceroos players who stand to benefit from their World Cup form. Alessandro Circati, Nestory Irankunda and Jordy Bos were already the subject of interest from big clubs before the tournament.
Beach's Possible Move
Goalkeeper Patrick Beach’s star turn after his surprise promotion has also opened doors to a possible move from the A-League with Melbourne City to Europe. “I’m gonna take a few days now to understand all that’s happened,” Beach said. “This has been for me, just all about the World Cup for Australia and what we can achieve. There’s interest out there of course but for me I’m just focused on getting back to Australia and having a little bit of time off and then I’ll know more. There is interest. There’s always interest. You could ask any of the boys, there’s always interest with games at a World Cup and performances and stuff—but that’s for me to know.”
Bos and Circati Updates
Bos, currently based in the Netherlands with Feyenoord, has long been expected to earn a move to England or Germany but is for now focusing on the left knee injury suffered against Egypt. Circati is already playing in Italy’s Serie A with Parma but a move up the table, or potentially to Spain’s La Liga, beckons. “With the World Cup being over now, you’ve gotta start putting things on the table, seeing what will happen,” the defender said. “I don’t know what my future is. I don’t know if I’m staying at my club. I don’t know—I haven’t been in contact with anyone. I’ll leave that for my agent to worry about. And then I just need to focus on myself, take some time off now. It’s been a long season and a long World Cup as well, so we’ve just gotta refresh our heads. And all those talks—whether they’re true or false—they’ll all unravel themselves slowly.”
Souttar to Re-evaluate
Experienced defender Harry Souttar had a standout World Cup after years of struggles with injury and being out of favour at Leicester City. Souttar will also take a break then “re-evaluate” his options. “Obviously I’ve still got two years left on a contract there, so yeah, I’ll certainly be going back,” he said. “And we’ll see what happens in the future, but I’m certainly not looking too far ahead.”
