John Greco

6 years ago

The biggest Hyundai A-League signings in August

The start of the Hyundai A-League 2018/19 Season is drawing closer meaning every club is getting closer to finalising their squads and making key singings.

And August saw some massive additions to the competition, with a host of big names and marquees joining the Hyundai A-League.

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It proved to be a massive month for defending champions Melbourne Victory with the addition of two 2018 World Cup stars, while some exceptional attacking talent was also added at Sydney FC, Adelaide United and Western Sydney Wanderers.

Here are six of the best signings across the league from August.

Ola Toivonen – Melbourne Victory

Victory ended the month with a bang, securing Swedish World Cup star Ola Toivonen on Friday on a two-year deal.

The 192cm striker is a high-quality replacement for the departed Besart Berisha –  the Hyundai A-League’s greatest-ever scorer – who left the club after last season’s Grand Final win.

A different type of striker to Berisha, Toivonen comes with vast experience playing in Europe while he also scored 14 goals in 64 appearances for Sweden.

When you consider the 32-year-old scored a goal against then-world champions Germany in Russia just a couple of months ago, his addition to the Hyundai A-League and Victory is massive.

Keisuke Honda – Melbourne Victory

What a signing! Victory boss Kevin Muscat urged fans to be patient after the off-season departures of Leroy George and Berisha and it paid off with the acquisition of the Japanese legend.

Still just 32, Honda played – and scored a goal – for the Samurai Blue at the recent FIFA World Cup before opting to continue his glittering career in Melbourne.

Having amassed almost 100 caps for Japan and playing for the likes of AC Milan and CSKA Moscow, Honda won’t only add big-game experience to the Victory squad but also plenty of creative flair.

Versatile enough to play anywhere in the attack, Honda is the kind type of player Muscat can build his team around and gives Victory a big chance to defend their Hyundai A-League crown.

Adam Le Fondre – Sydney FC

Finding a striker to fill the boots of Brazilian Bobo – who scored 27 goals in 27 games last season – was always going to be a challenge for new Sky Blues boss Steve Corica.

But if the former Reading striker can deliver on what he’s promised, Sydney FC could be on to a winner.

“When I play I score goals, it’s as simple as that really,” Le Fondre said after he joined the Sky Blues.

“When I start games I score goals, when I come off the bench I score goals, my record speaks for itself.

It’s hard to doubt Le Fondre’s confidence, having scored 12 goals for Reading in his maiden EPL season in 2012/13, while also finding the net regularly in England’s Championship.

If he can get his combination with Sydney’s marquee men Milos Ninkovic and Siem de Jong going, he could do anything next season.

Alexander Baumjohann – Western Sydney Wanderers

The signing of the classy attacking midfielder continues a mini German revolution in Western Sydney, joining coach Markus Babbel and defender Patrick Ziegler.

And with a CV that includes playing for clubs like Bayern Munich, Hertha Berlin and Borussia Mönchengladbach, Baumjohann could just well be the pick of the lot.

Now 31, Baumjohann has already made a big impression at the club, scoring on his competitive debut in the Wanderers’ 2-1 win over Bonnyrigg White Eagles in the FFA Cup.

With striker Oriol Riera thriving on the service the likes of Baumjohann can provide, the Wanderers look onto a winner if he can show the kind of form that made him one of the brightest young stars in German football a decade ago.

Ben Halloran – Adelaide United

It’s not very often you can add a player who has FIFA World Cup experience and is approaching the peak of their career to your squad but that’s the case for the Reds.

Halloran, who played for the Caltex Socceroos at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, moves to Adelaide after five years abroad, including stints with Fortuna Düsseldorf, FC Heidenheim in Germany and Japan’s V-Varen Nagasaki.

If Marco Kurz is looking for searing speed to boost his attack, he’s got just that in the 26-year-old, who can operate as a forward, attacking midfielder, or winger.

While Halloran has struggled for game time at his clubs recently, he’ll view the move back to the Hyundai A-League as a chance to re-ignite his career.

And a motivated Halloran is just what the Reds will want heading into the new campaign.

Siem de Jong – Sydney FC

As well as Bobo, the Sky Blues also lost Adrian Mierzejewski after the 2017/18 Season leaving a big hole in their attacking positions.

De Jong certainly has the ability to fill the void, having captained Dutch giants Ajax where he won four league titles, as well as making six appearances for the Netherlands.

While he’s battled injury at times during his career, de Jong is just 29 and feels some of his best football could still be ahead of him.

It will be interesting to see how Corica uses him, with de Jong able to play both as a striker or in an attacking midfield role.

Having also played in the Premier League with Newcastle United, de Jong definitely has the pedigree to be a star of the competition.

A-League Men
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