Fifa World Cup: Auckland FC swoop to sign All Whites midfielder
Auckland FC have got the jump on their A-League rivals and are set to secure the signature of an All Whites midfielder who has attracted attention across the competition.
Off the back of their men’s title triumph, the expansion side are already making moves to improve their roster ahead of next season.
The Herald can reveal that their 2026-2027 squad will include All Whites attacking midfielder Lachlan Bayliss, who is currently in the United States, preparing with the New Zealand squad ahead of the World Cup.
It’s understood that Bayliss is close to agreeing personal terms with the Black Knights. An Auckland FC official, when contacted by this masthead on Tuesday, said they were unable to comment on transfer speculation.
Bayliss was one of the stories of last season. He was superb for the Newcastle Jets and a big part of their unlikely charge to the A-League Premiers Plate. His form since the turn of the year was irresistible – at one point he scored five goals in seven matches, along with providing two assists during that spell.
That led to a call-up for the All Whites matches in March against Finland and Chile, where he made his international debut against the European nation.
He made a good impression during that camp and that, along with his ongoing form for Newcastle, won him selection for the World Cup squad, the closest thing to a genuine bolter in Darren Bazeley’s team.
Bayliss can play a variety of positions – as a No 6, No 8 or No 10, and even as a winger – and the 23-year-old would seem a good fit for Auckland FC as an attacking midfielder. He is a dynamic runner, has a good range of passing and proved his goalscoring instincts last season. He also has a strong engine.
He is relatively unknown on these shores, due to his background. Born in Sydney and raised in Darwin, Bayliss was picked up by the Central Coast Mariners as a 16-year-old. He spent five years in their system, before joining their local rivals in July 2023.
Bayliss has played the last three seasons at the Jets, making 61 A-League appearances (six goals, five assists). He qualifies for New Zealand through his Kiwi father – though the thought of wearing the silver fern hadn’t crossed his mind until a few years ago.
“To be honest, I didn’t realise I could play for New Zealand until I was 19 or 20,” Bayliss told the Herald in March. “It wasn’t until then that I filled all the forms out to get my passport and everything. I really wish I would have done it sooner ... but as soon as I realised, I jumped at it.”
Bayliss represented New Zealand at the 2024 Paris Olympics, though he was again a late call-up. Bayliss didn’t feature at all in the qualifying campaign – partly due to injury – then was only named as a travelling reserve for the Oly Whites, outside the initial squad, before getting an eleventh-hour chance when another player was ruled out through injury. He ended up playing two matches at the tournament.
It’s expected there will be considerable turnover within the Auckland FC squad across this off-season, given the amount of players off contract.
Popular striker Guillermo May is currently back in Uruguay – as he goes through rehabilitation on his ankle injury – and it is unsure if he will return.
Central defender Dan Hall has been linked with clubs in Asia, while midfielder Felipe Gallegos is another whose future is up in the air, along with vice-captain Jake Brimmer.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.
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