Who should Melbourne Victory target for the 2025-26 season? That was the question asked on this week’s episode of Total A-Leagues following the club’s Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final loss to rivals Melbourne City.
Victory will look to pick up the pieces next season and go one step further after back-to-back Grand Final losses.
Arthur Diles’ Victory were beaten 1-0 by foes City in an historic A-Leagues decider at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
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Attention will now turn to the squad – who will stay and who will go? Bruno Fornaroli and Daniel Arzani are coming off contract, while Soceroos duo Nishan Velupillay and Ryan Teague could attract interest from abroad.
On this week’s episode, Total A-Leagues host and Sydney Morning Herald reporter Vince Rugari flagged Socceroo and Salernitana midfielder Ajdin Hrustic as a possible option for the four-time champions to pursue.
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“I don’t think Bruno will be there according to the noises we hear,” Rugari said. “But I’d be surprised if they don’t keep Daniel Arzani, Jack Duncan, they should retain.
“They’ve got a good one-two combination with the goalkeepers there, with Mitch Langerak, (Roderick) Miranda will stay you’d imagine.
“I’ve thought as well that they should go hard for a player like Ajdin Hrustic, who looks like he’s had a tough season in Italy.
“Might be looking for somewhere next season to stabilise and play regular football out of the World Cup. I think he’d fit in quite well with what they’re doing.”
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A-Leagues legend Alex Brosque added: “I think if you look at that forward line, really, if Arzani stays, you’ve got (Reno) Piscopo as well, who didn’t really get much game time there at the end.
“(Alex) Badolato, who’s off contract, and you’d hope that he’d stay to develop himself, but in those three with (Zinedine) Machach as well. There’s so much good going forward there and attacking quality players.
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“Velupillay is one who obviously in him not playing the final definitely hurt their chances. But I think those five players there that I just mentioned gives them such huge depth and range in terms of creating chances.
“Hrustic yes, would add to that, but I feel more it’s probably, if you look at Melbourne City’s defence in this game, they’re back four and how solid they were, it’s almost an international back line there that they’ve got with Atkinson, Behich, Trewin and Ferreira as well, adding, his little bit of mongrel and quality.
“But I think that’s probably the area where the Victory can strengthen, in that back line, and not conceding as many goals being a bit more difficult to break down. Even another player to support Ryan Teague there in midfield, someone in that position.
“I feel like that’s the area of the field where they need a little bit more if Fornaroli leaves, then it’s someone there as well who can consistently bang goals in.”
