Kavian Rahmani has signed his first professional contract after graduating from Melbourne City’s academy with a three-year deal.
City have rewarded Rahmani, who has overcome numerous “setbacks”, with a contract that also has the option for an additional two years.
The 17-year-old attacking midfielder becomes the sixth City academy graduate to earn a first-team contract in the last six months, following Jayden Necovski, Medin Memeti, Harry Shillington, Lawrence Wong and Peter Antoniou.
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Rahmani, who first joined City in early 2019 in the club’s development squad before moving into the academy the following year, is coming off a breakout 2024 VPL1 season which saw the teenager lead the squad in goal contributions in the second tier of Victorian football after scoring seven goals and supplying eight assists.
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“Signing a first-team contract has always been a dream of mine and I am so happy to be able to do it with Melbourne City,” said Rahmani, whose professional deal begins in July next year.
“The club and our incredible staff have supported me so much, both on and off the pitch, and I can’t wait to repay the faith they’ve shown in me.”
Rahmani was on the bench in the 1-0 win away to Newcastle Jets in Round 1 last week and he could feature in Saturday night’s blockbuster Derby against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.
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City’s senior academy manager Simon Zappia added: “Kavian’s potential was evident when he first came to the Club at 12 years of age.
“He was a late developer physically and struggled with long-term injuries as a young player, but was able to flourish in 2024 and really dominate in the VPL.
“It’s really rewarding for the Academy to see a player who’s had to battle through those setbacks work incredibly hard to achieve his goals.
“We can’t wait to see Kavian flourish with the first team and hopefully play a big part in success over the years to come.”
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City’s director of football Michael Petrillo said: “Kavian has faced several challenges during his time with City, but he has overcome each one brilliantly, showing his true character.
“His technical skill and sharp decision-making in the final third really set him apart, and we’re excited to see what he can accomplish in the future.”
