Daniel Arzani could be Australian soccer’s next $1 million man

Herald Sun – MELBOURNE, City Football Group looks set to offer Melbourne City starlet Daniel Arzani an Aaron Mooy-style deal in a bid to lock in Australia’s hottest young property.

Arzani, 19, is destined to become Australia’s next $1 million dollar talent, producing the most electric batch of debut starting performances for a teenager in the A-League era.

The attacker, this week flagged as a 2018 World Cup hopeful by Sydney FC coach and future Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, is believed to be on the radar of Iran.

Australian youth international Arzani’s parents are Iranian.

His emergence was rewarded on Tuesday with January’s NAB Young Footballer of the Month nomination.

Arzani’s contract expires at the end of the season and he was attracting interest from A-League clubs before his breakthrough.

City tried to open negotiations in December but it’s understood Arzani baulked at re-signing as he’d played just 23 A-League minutes.

A clause in Arzani’s contract will trigger an extension if he plays out the rest of the season, but City is leaving nothing to chance.

CFG want to sign Arzani on a multi-year deal and offer him similar pathways to that of Mooy, who was loaned to Huddersfield Town before they paid a $15 million-plus transfer fee after he helped them win promotion.

Arzani could be signed by CFG and loaned back to Melbourne City or remain a City contracted player before a sister-club — presumably Manchester City — signs him in coming years and potentially loans him out as with Mooy.

City refused to comment on Arzani’s contract negotiations but did confirm the trigger clause in his existing deal.

Coach Warren Joyce praised Arzani’s poise last week and conceded his teammates under-utilised him.

“It frustrates me that after the first 10-15 minutes when he (Arzani) has gone past the full-back three times like he’s not there, that we then stopped giving him the ball,’’ Joyce said.

“We’ve got to recognise that during games. In that little bit of a spell (for a player), if you keep getting the ball, the left-back’s got a problem. We stopped doing it.”

Third-place City is away to Brisbane Roar on Sunday.