Melbourne City’s best player makes shock exit

Melbourne City’s 2024-25 A-League title hopes have taken a significant and unexpected hit with the departure of their star player, German midfielder Tolgay Arslan.

The 33-year-old playmaker had one season remaining on his contract but requested an early release this week, a move that caught club officials off guard but to which they “reluctantly agreed.”

Arslan cited family reasons for his immediate return to Germany. “I’m disappointed to be leaving Melbourne, but I am grateful for the opportunity to have played for City and appreciate the club’s understanding in my decision,” he said. “I want to thank my teammates, the coaches, the staff, and the City fans and wish them the very best of luck for the season.”

City’s director of football, Michael Petrillo, expressed his disappointment over losing a player of Tolgay Arslan’s caliber, especially with pre-season training already underway.

“Sometimes there are factors out of our control,” Petrillo remarked. “He’s a player we absolutely wanted to keep, and we did everything in our power to find a way for him to stay. In my 20 years of working in football, I’ve never seen an instance where keeping a player against their will ended up being a positive thing for all involved. We would like to thank Tolgay for his contribution and wish him and his family all the best in the future.”

Arslan joined City in June last year after three seasons with Italian top-flight club Udinese, scoring 19 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions for Melbourne. His outstanding form earned him selection for the A-League All-Stars, as well as City’s player-of-the-year and players’ player awards.

 

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