Who is the Isuzu UTE A-League signing of the season?
That is the question set to be answered via aleagues.com.au’s eToro Transfer Power Rankings in 2023-24, ranking the best performers of all this season’s signings every month.
Each player’s place in the eToro Transfer Power Rankings is based off their Opta Index score for the season – and the rankings will shift month to month based on performance until we can crown the signing of the season.
Read on for the top 10 signings in the eToro Transfer Power Rankings after February in the Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Who has dropped out of the top 10 from the end of January? Daniel Arzani (10th), Ryan Teague (8th), Steven Ugarkovic (6th), Aziz Behich (5th)
Who has broken into the top 10 after February? Bernardo Oliveira (8th), Valère Germain (7th), Mikael Doka (4th), Daniel Penha (3rd)
eToro Transfer Power Rankings – Top 10 (February alone – Opta Index): Lachlan Brook (82.4), Ángel Torres (81.1), Tolgay Arslan (80.1), Thomas Waddingham (79.9), Valère Germain (77.9), Isaac Hughes (75.6), Mikael Doka (74.9), Tom Heward-Belle (72.3), Lukas Kelly-Heald (72.2), Ryan Scott (69.5)
eToro Transfer Power Rankings – Top 10, overall standings
10. Terry Antonis
- Ranking last month: 7th (dropped three places)
- Opta index: 68.1
- Transfer: Free agent -> Melbourne City
With five goals and two assists this season, Terry Antonis is adding attacking value to Melbourne City’s midfield. The 30-year-old sat seventh on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings after January but has slid three places since.
9. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos
- Ranking last month: 4th (dropped five places)
- Opta index: 70.8
- Transfer: PAS Giannina -> Newcastle Jets
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos added four more goals to his season tally of 14 in February to keep the pace in the Golden Boot race – and continue to figure prominently in the discussion for signing of the season.
8. Bernardo Oliveira
- Ranking last month: N/A
- Opta index: 71.2
- Transfer: Adelaide United -> Macarthur FC (mid-season)
Bernardo Oliveira made the switch from Adelaide United to Macarthur FC in January, and through the end of the month and early February, the young forward put together a rampant streak of form before an Achilles injury cruelly cut his season short.
Bernardo bagged his first Bulls goal against Wellington at the end of February and scored a brace against Melbourne City in early March before his season-ending injury.
7. Valère Germain
- Ranking last month: N/A
- Opta index: 71.6
- Transfer: Montpellier -> Macarthur FC
Macarthur’s star striker Valère Germain broke into the top 10 of the eToro Transfer Power Rankings after a four-goal February, which included a hat-trick in a 4-3 win over Western Sydney.
The Frenchman has 11 goals and five assists to his name this season.
Germain features among the 10 nominees for February Player of the Month – vote for him below!
6. Lachlan Brook
- Ranking last month: 9th (climbed three places)
- Opta index: 72.2
- Transfer: Brentford -> Western Sydney Wanderers
Lachlan Brook has climbed from 10th, to ninth, to sixth on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings as the forward continues to enjoy a solid debut season at the Wanderers.
Brook has seven goals and two assists to his name after 20 rounds.
5. Josh Brillante
- Ranking last month: 2nd (dropped three places)
- Opta index: 72.6
- Transfer: Melbourne Victory -> Western Sydney Wanderers
Josh Brillante led the eToro Transfer Power Rankings after the October/November polling but has slid to fifth since as Western Sydney endure a tough stretch of form. Brillante made two appearances in February, playing 90 minutes in a 3-3 draw with Newcastle Jets and a 1-0 loss to the Mariners.
4. Mikael Doka
- Ranking last month: N/A
- Opta index: 73.4
- Transfer: Santos -> Central Coast Mariners
Mikael Doka has soared into contention on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings after a scintillating stretch of form. The Mariners fullback/winger is relishing a run in the starting XI and has quickly become one of the league-leaders’ most important players, contributing goals and assists in both the Isuzu UTE A-League and the AFC Cup.
3. Daniel Penha
- Ranking last month: N/A
- Opta index: 73.5
- Transfer: Atletico Mineiro -> Western United (loan)
There’s few players enjoying themselves in the Isuzu UTE A-League right now quite like Daniel Penha.
The Brazilian playmaker has four goals and three assists in his last five games for Western United, with two of those strikes coming in February to help him shoot up the eToro Transfer Power Rankings.
READ: Incredible interview from the happiest player in the A-Leagues after star role in seesawing draw
2. Ángel Torres
- Ranking last month: 3rd (climbed one place)
- Opta index: 78.3
- Transfer: Balzan FC -> Central Coast Mariners
Ángel Torres has climbed one place on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings since the end of January. The Mariners winger scored three goals in Februay to take his season tally to 11; Torres is not out of Golden Boot contention, an impressive feat considering the Colombian scored just once in his first six league appearances.
1. Tolgay Arslan
- Ranking last month: 1st
- Opta index: 82.0
- Transfer: Udinese -> Melbourne City
Tolgay Arslan led the eToro Transfer Power Rankings after January and retains his spot at the top of the tree. The attacking midfielder scored a brace against Perth in his only appearance of February, but a three-game ban following a post-game incident at HBF Park sidelined Arslan for the remainder of the month.
Arslan had scored six goals and notched seven assists in 14 games prior to his ban and with an Opta Index score of 82.0 for the season, the 33-year-old remains on top of the leaderboard of top-performing signings this season.
What is the Opta Index?
Opta defines it as follows:
The Player Index is based on totals in a variety of statistics for each player. The index score uses subcomponents (such as shooting, passing, defending), corresponding to different qualitative aspects of a player’s performance.
These component scores are combined to create an overall rating for each player. The formula that works out the overall match rating have been developed by Opta’s own team of data scientists in conjunction with our award-winning Data Editorial team.
