Electric Arzani ready to cash in
TEEN Socceroos sensation Daniel Arzani is on track to become Australia’s first $2 million player and break the domestic transfer record.
Arzani, 19, underscored his mass potential with a stunning late cameo in the 2-1 win over Hungary that included a goal, a second assist and some clever touches in between.
Excluding Aaron Mooy’s $1.4 million Melbourne City to Manchester City move in 2016, Daniel De Silva’s $1.3 million sale from Perth Glory to Roma in 2013 remains the A-League transfer record, while Leicester City’s $1.7 million capture of Sydney United’s Zeljko Kalac in 1997 is the record for a player leaving these shores.
The Melbourne City winger is already rated as a $2 million prospect on the global market, but some repeat Budapest performances in Russia could see that rise to $3 million-plus.
City Football Group is eager to keep him inside the group in a Mooy-style deal but, with a year left on his Melbourne City contract, offers are likely to come in for him from rival European clubs.
Arzani, who’ll be the youngest player at the 2018 World Cup,
confirmed his Russia role and a dream World Cup debut against France is now a real possibility. But he wasn’t getting carried away.
“Really excited, the same outlook on things. It’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself and just try to enjoy things and that’s what I’m going to try and do,’’ Arzani said.
“I am happy to help the team in any way I can. Going on to the field the advice from the [coach] was to just bring some energy on and do my thing and that’s what I did.”
Starting from a less familiar leftwing role enabled Arzani to cut inside and catch the keeper off guard by unleashing an early strike to put Australia ahead before a defencesplitting pass released Jackson Irvine for the winner.
“Obviously really happy. Ecstatic to have got my first national goal and even more so happy for the team, two wins on the trot heading into the World Cup, which is really important,’’ he said.
“Really happy, a little bit shocked, that’s why I didn’t celebrate so much. A bit of luck on my side for the goal I think. It’s such a surreal feeling, you know. Even to play for my country but to get on and score within seconds is really amazing.”