Spanish footballer Ander Herrera’s enthusiasm about a potential move to Boca Juniors was palpable when speaking to a Xeneize fan as he exited practice in Spain in a video published online a couple of weeks ago: “I can’t sleep dreaming of it.”

Herrera got some good news on Monday, and his dream of donning the historic blue and gold jersey is now closer than ever.

Boca released a statement on an Instagram account devoted to reporting on the professional football squad’s player movements, announcing that the move was close to completion. 

“Ander Herrera will arrive in the country on Wednesday to undergo the corresponding medical tests. If there are no problems, he will become a Boca player,” read the communiqué.

But who is Ander Herrera, and why is he awake at night thinking about walking into La Bombonera?

The 35-year-old came up through the Real Zaragoza youth academy, where his father worked as a sporting director. He made his debut there at age 19 in 2009, in the second tier of Spanish football. A dynamic and skilled midfielder, he quickly established himself in the starting eleven.

Born in Bilbao, he fit into the Basque-players-only policy upheld by the city’s club, Athletic Bilbao. Herrera was transferred there in 2011 for 7.5 million euros. He became a key member of the team that reached the UEFA Europa League and Copa del Rey finals under Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa before going on to shine also at Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain. In 2022, he returned to Athletic Bilbao, where injuries have so far prevented him from showing his best.

His love for Boca, however, started long before. 

As a sporting director for Zaragoza, his father regularly travelled to Argentina to scout players. Argentine stars Cristian “Kily” González, Gustavo López, Fernando Cáceres, Juan Esnaider, and brothers Gabriel and Diego Milito were among those who made it to the club at his behest.

“I asked him why we signed so many Argentine players, and my father told me, ‘They never let you down; when things go wrong, they always go forward and fight,’” he told ESPN in 2023, during a visit to Buenos Aires. This passion and grit made Herrera fall in love with Argentine football culture, and he was always drawn to Boca due to its passionate fans.

“When my father went to Argentina, I asked him for the latest Boca kit and told him to phone me from the stadium so I could listen to the crowd,” he said. 

In 2023, he visited La Bombonera and then attended a game, jumping and singing — perhaps unwittingly — alongside Boca’s famed La 12. The group is a barrabrava, one of the many violent organized groups in Argentine football, but is also known worldwide for its passionate support of the team.

He won’t be the only Basque in Argentine football. Former teammate Iker Muniaín, currently playing for San Lorenzo, celebrated Herrera’s arrival.

“He’s almost here. I hope it gets over the line; he’s a great footballer, world-class,” he told ESPN, before adding that players of the former Manchester United midfielder coming to Argentina is very positive.

Herrera isn’t the first European player who’s seduced by Boca’s international appeal. In 2019, Italian midfielder Daniele de Rossi fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing with the Xeneize, featuring in seven games and scoring once.