Adelaide United’s Head of Football has explained just how quickly Joe Gauci’s move to Aston Villa happened as well as how the club plan to use the windfall from the sale of the Socceroo.
Speaking to Channel 10 and Paramount+ reporter Max Burford ahead of the Reds’ clash with Central Coast Mariners at Coopers Stadium, Marius Zanin spoke openly about the transfer which has seen 23-year-old goalkeeper Gauci become the latest graduate to complete a huge move away from the club.
This season, Adelaide have sold players to Brighton (Steven Hall), Bayern Munich (Nestory Irankunda) and now Aston Villa (Gauci), on top of the departure of captain Craig Goodwin to Saudi outfit Al-Wehda and Alexandar Popovic’s move to the K League.
FULL DETAILS: Joe Gauci completes move to Premier League side Aston Villa
“Literally the call came last Friday when we were still in Melbourne, then the negotiations really took off on Monday night… and here we are with Joe making the move to Aston Villa!” Zanin explained.
“It’s a really good deal for the club. It’s a good deal for football in Australia.
“I think at the end of the day it’s a good deal for Joe Gauci.”
Asked how Adelaide plan to reinvest the windfall from Gauci’s sale, Zanin continued: “We’ve got a budget for our players but the big thing with that money is, yes its a good amount, but we’ll reinvest it into either infrastructure, development, in the hope to find the next Joe Gauci.
“That is what we want to do. We want to open the pathway for the next player that comes through. Obviously Joe is gone and so is Steven Hall, but it gives the opportunity to James Delianov, a really good number one and then Ethan Cox to step up as well.
“We still need to improve, we need to strengthen the squad and there is a few people we are still looking at in the hope to bring them in by Tuesday.”
Reports suggest that Gauci will become Villa’s number two goalkeeper from next season behind World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez.
The Socceroos stopper will enter an elite environment at a club who currently sit fifth in the Premier League under Unai Emery, but Archie Thompson and Bruce Djite, who both made moves abroad from the A-Leagues in their playing days believe he is ready.
“I think for Joe Gauci and all reports are that he is a proper focused professional already at his age,” Thompson, who spent time at PSV Eindhoven, said on 10 Bold & Paramount+
“That is what you need when you go over in that sort of environment. I didnt have it, so I probably learned the hard way. But all reports are that he is on the money.”
Djite added: “It just shows the great job that Marius is doing.
“I had dinner with him last night and he has been staying up to the early hours of the morning to get these deals over the line. He really cares about the players.
“As Archie said, Gauci already has the temperament, he already has the right mindset, the psychology is there. He is very mature, well beyond his years.
“He is going to a huge club in the biggest league in the world. Of course there will be great support there for him, but its going to be really important that he can adapt to the intensity and no better way to go into Aston Villa on the back of a Socceroos camp.”
