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Writer's picturemattmcindoe

Europe calling? The A-League players that PK could take to Troyes

With Patrick Kisnorbo's groundbreaking move to Troyes now confirmed, he becomes the first Australian to manage in Europe's top five football leagues.


Taking the reigns at a Ligue 1 side is something that would be a daunting proposition but after seeing Kisnorbo's meteoric rise up the ranks here in Melbourne there's a quiet confidence that he will be the man to turn around the side gripped in a potential relegation battle being only one point clear of the drop zone.


We know that Kisnorbo plays a particular style of football with the full-backs having multiple jobs above the basic defending role. They are asked to tuck in and become midfielders at times and in other moments they are the wide overlapping runner to deliver a wicked cross looking for the ever-present Maclaren.


Coming into a new league and a new club there will be a transition period for Kisnorbo as he looks to fast-track many years of development into a few short weeks before the season resumes after the World Cup, Will he be looking towards the January transfer window and possibly even some familiar faces from down under?


Here's where we break down who he may be looking to bring to France not only from a Melbourne City squad perspective but the A-League as a whole. There are two very clear-cut people from the Melbourne side that he would be looking at and maybe controversially I am listing them in this order:


Jordan Bos

Photo: Andrew Wiseman (@wisemansports)

Bos is a generational talent and has shown his adaptive ability, being thrown on the wings at times as well as making the left-back position his own from the start of this A-League season.


The highly-rated youngster appears to have a good head on his shoulders and may ultimately decide to spend more time in Australia before making his launch to Europe but with a familiar manager in a fantastic league could he be tempted into making the move sooner? This would also keep him a part of the CFG family and allow the parent of both clubs to potentially make an even bigger return on investment if he proves to continue on his rise upwards.


Still early days in his career, Jordan has played 19 games with one fantastic goal last season against Sydney FC with a hit from outside the box showing his ability.


Marco Tilio

Photo: Andrew Wiseman (@wisemansports)

Marco was lured down from Sydney to play for Melbourne under Patrick Kisnorbo back in 2020 and there have been rumours after his stellar performances ever since that Europe is the next step for him. Whilst City has been able to hold the advances at bay so far, could a move to Ligue 1 with a coach who knows his ability be the catalyst that sends him away from our shores?

So far in his A-League career, he's made 56 appearances with 53 coming for Melbourne City, with 10 goals scored in that period, including a career-best return of five league goals last campaign across 25 games. So far this season he has scored two goals in six appearances.


Craig Goodwin

Photo: Aleksandar Kostadinoski (@ThatfootballphotoG)

So far we have focused on young stars that are developing and yet to reach their peaks. This could be too much of a long-game move in the scenario that Kisnorbo finds himself in with the battle to avoid the drop being so close. He may turn to some players who have proven themselves at a high level including the World Cup that is currently going on and that could very well lead him to Craig Goodwin.


Goodwin scored the first goal of our World Cup campaign, finding the net with a tidy finish against France, but it's his performances at A-League level that Kisnorbo would be familiar with. The highly-rated winger has had a few stints in the A-League initially starting out at Melbourne Heart before moving to the Newcastle Jets and then finding a home at Adelaide with some overseas adventures sprinkled in as well. These moves have never really paid off for Goodwin which could make him gun-shy at making the jump again, but with a familiar boss in place and being 30, it could be now or never for him to make the step to a top five league.


46 goals across 183 appearances in the A-League with 10 being his top return in a single season. Currently this season he has scored three in six games setting himself up to be picked for the Socceroos at the World Cup where his performances have continued to turn heads. Could PK be one of those now looking at him?


Daniel Arzani

Photo: Jeremy Ng/AAP photos

Daniel Arzani crossed paths with Kisnorbo during his time at Melbourne City and would be a familiar prospect for him with Arzani having an understanding of the type of mentor that he was, though there have been a number of years between then and now, and there have certainly been some changes in Kisnorbo's style too.


Arzani is still regarded as one of Australia's most exciting young prospects with many looking at him to be a key player in the future for the Socceroos now that his knee is fully recovered. He was reportedly close to making the 26-man squad for the current World Cup, showing how highly he is perceived.


Arzani has already made a move to Europe with his sale to Manchester City, followed by loan spells with Celtic and a number of other clubs including Utrecht, AGF, and Lommel. However, the winger struggled to make his mark and came back home to sign with Macarthur FC where he has shown throughout their Australia Cup run and the early stages of the A-League season that he is still a mighty talent.


Whether he now has the work ethic and patience required to go back to Europe and succeed is something that only time will tell. On talent alone, it makes sense that he could slot right in. Would Kisnorbo be willing to invest the time into the youngster to see him rise to his full potential?


 

There are plenty of talented players that would relish the chance to play under an Australian manager, including some of the World Cup squad based overseas, but that's a different conversation entirely. Harry Souter is one that I imagine will be getting a call from Kisnorbo in the very near future and possibly even a Riley McGree. These players are performing for their overseas clubs and have shown that they have more than the requisite talent to compete. Could they be some money moves that we see in January?


Who would you take if you were Kisnorbo? Let us know in the comments!




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