Victory boss provides major transfer update in search for new defender: ‘He’s one of them’

Melbourne Victory head coach Arthur Diles revealed the Isuzu UTE A-League club are in talks with Subway Socceroos defender Milos Degenek over a potential move to AAMI Park.

Officially a free agent after leaving Serbian champions Crvena Zvezda at the beginning of January, Degenek reportedly has several teams lining up to secure his signature – one of which is now confirmed as being Victory.

“We’re in discussions with a lot of players at the moment and he’s one of them,” Diles told reporters ahead of Friday’s Big Blue against Sydney FC.

“I won’t lie, that’s a player that was mentioned, but, yeah, I’m sure there’s a lot of clubs chasing Milos, but there’s a lot of other players that we’re looking at as well, because we know that you can’t put all your eggs in one basket.

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Milos Degenek in action for the Socceroos against Lionel Messi of Australia

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“If that falls through then you’re left in a position where now you’re reacting. So we’re trying to be as proactive as possible in this market, in this window, and we have a number of options that we’re looking at, and hopefully in the coming days, one of those can be put to bed.”

The club are currently in the market for a right-sided defender following the departure of Socceroos defender Jason Geria, who officially joined J1 League side Albirex Niigata earlier this month.

“We’re looking all over, definitely,” said Diles when asked whether or not the club is looking to strengthen more than just the defence.

“We have to bring another defender, because we’re light there. Again, you know, there’s some younger players in the squad and in the club that can step up as well, and we believe that they’re in a position that they’re ready to maybe take the next step.

“So we’re looking at them as well, and between both options, I hope in the next week that there’s clarity and news to talk about.”

Diles’ side head into their Friday night Big Blue clash with Sydney FC yet to taste victory under his stewardship, with their most recent result being a 3-2 loss to Adelaide United in the Original Rivalry.

Despite the fact they’ve lost three of his first six games in charge though Diles believes there are positives to take from their recent winless run.

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“Every game is a must win game. We don’t hide behind that fact, and we’re disappointed with with results,” said Diles.

“Absolutely, we’re not happy with that, but we’re progressing as a team. We’re playing good football. You know, we’re always in a position in each match where we can take out the points, and at the moment, it hasn’t landed.

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“But that doesn’t stop the belief that we have in this group. They’re definitely not short of confidence. They’re together, and tomorrow night, they’ll be turning up and doing everything they can to to get not only a performance over the line, but the points as well.

“We’re looking forward to being in front of our home fans again, and something that we always appreciate and adore and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”