Farewell D’Agostino: Victory sell star striker to Norwegian club

Nick D’Agostino will embark on a European adventure after swapping Melbourne Victory for Norwegian outfit Viking FK.

Isuzu UTE A-League club Victory have agreed to part with their star striker for an undisclosed fee, they announced on Saturday.

D’Agostino established himself at Victory following his arrival in 2021-22, scoring 13 goals in 37 league appearances, while he was also part of the 2021 Australia Cup success.

The 24-year-old also earned his Socceroos debut during his time at Victory.

Now, D’Agostino will team up with fellow Australia international Gianni Stensness at top-flight Norwegian outfit Viking, who are 11th in the 16-team league through 30 rounds.

“Nick has been an exciting asset to the club over the past 18 months and to see his development first hand has been very rewarding for everybody at the club,” said Victory’s director of football John Didulica.

“After arriving as a free agent, he now has the opportunity to establish himself in a European league competing within UEFA competitions.

READ: Why D’Agostino deserves his European chance

“As a club, we are committed to driving our emerging players to reach the highest levels they can.

“With players like Will Wilson and Matt Bozinosvki making their full starting debuts in recent weeks, we are confident we have the established and emerging talent to not only cover Nick’s departure but create more opportunities for ambitious players.”

D’Agostino scored 10 goals last season as Tony Popovic’s Victory reached the Isuzu UTE A-League semi-finals.

This term, D’Agostino has bagged three goals in 12 appearances with Victory bottom and struggling ahead of their trip to Perth Glory on Saturday night.

“I’ve had an incredible time over the past two years at Victory,” D’Agostino said.

“The club has given me an opportunity to further my career in Australia and I’m looking forward to heading to Europe and continuing my development as a footballer.”