Đoàn Văn Hậu is going to join Austria Wien FC for the 2019-20 season on loan. — Photo tienphong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Đoàn Văn Hậu has made national headlines after signing a loan deal to play for FK Austria Wien next season.

According to a source at Hà Nội FC, the national team defender will play for the Austrian club under a loan contract which includes a buy clause for the 20-year-old.

Astria Wien will pay about 100,000 euros (US$113,000) for Hậu during the 2019-20 season. Wien said they were prepared to pay $774,000 to buy Hậu outright, but Hà Nội FC said they would be holding out for $1 million.

Austria Wien are one of the best teams in their domestic league with 24 national titles, 27 national cups and six super cups, and have competed in continental tournaments including the Champions League. They are currently No 4 in the Austrian Football Bundesliga. The team, according to transfermarkt, are worth 22.5 million euros. 

Despite his age, Hậu is a key player for both his club and country. He recently won silver at the King’s Cup in Thailand with the national team. In the last two years, he was part of the team that finished runners-up at the Asian U23 Championship and won the AFF Cup, Asian Cup top eight, Asian Games top four, national V.League trophy and award for the best young footballer of 2018.

Hậu has also attracted attention from Muangthong United of Thailand and Monchengladbach of Germany. If a full-time deal is struck, it would make him the most valuable player in Vietnamese history.

The current record belongs to goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm who moved to Muangthong United for $500,000.

Hậu will also be the third player to head to Europe after striker Lê Công Vinh who moved to Leixoes in Portugal in 2005 and Nguyễn Công Phượng who will join Clermont Foot 63 next week. — VNS