A year from now, it is possible that Aaron Mooy, with a year of English experience under his belt, will be welcomed by Pep Guardiola and prepared for a challenge to take on the best of Europe in the UEFA Champions League.
Possible but not very likely. Mooy is the third and best Australian player to head to Manchester City in recent times. Anthony Caceres and Luke Bratton were also sent to Manchester, never made an appearance for the club (or in Bratton’s case, for Bolton either, the second-tier club he was loaned out to) before being loaned to Melbourne City.
Mooy was arguably the best Australian playing in Australia and one of the standouts in Asia in the past year or so. I am not an agent but am pretty sure I could have got him a loan deal to Huddersfield, a club that finished 19th in the English Championship last season.
It seems fashionable in certain quarters in Australia to decry the English game (understandably so perhaps after recent events) and especially the lower leagues. The Championship is a major drop in quality from the Premier League but still, in global terms, it is a decent standard and highly competitive.
Still, as a fan of a fairly hapless team that still managed to finish above Huddersfield last season, it is not hard to say that Mooy is too good for this move.
If he was 18 or 19, it could be seen as a learning experience, a quick one step back before taking two or three forward later on in his career.
Even in that scenario, there would surely be better options. For a player approaching his 26th birthday, there definitely are.
The problem is that even if he is a success at Huddersfield, plays the games, makes an impact, then it is difficult to know where he goes from there.
To Manchester City? Does anyone really believe that good performances in the Championship will persuade the most highly sought-after coach in the world at a club that can afford anyone that he is the answer? Is Pep Guardiola going to tell Sheikh Mansour to put the $100 million meant for Pogba et al back in his pocket because there is a lad at Huddersfield who has had a good season? It’s possible but then so is the AFL making it big in China.
Even if he has a good season, the days when clubs in the Premier League took much notice of what is going on in the second tier are almost over, and they never dawned at all in Europe. There is a reasonable chance Mooy could earn a move to a lower half top-tier team in England but one of Australia’s best should be able to do that without spending a year in the second league.
It would be taking it too far to suggest that Mooy has a responsibility to other Australian players looking to move, but when a league’s standout heads for the bright lights of Europe only to end up at a club that just missed relegation to the English third tier then the trail being blazed is not exactly bright.
There was a time when City, when looking to loan out signings, talked of choosing good teams in European leagues that would help combat a player’s weaknesses. A little short of technique? There were friends in La Liga. A little more tactical nous? Then there was Serie A.
In this case, if Huddersfield is the answer, then I don’t really want to know what the question is.
Patrick
Guest
They have signed Mooy to a 4 year contract at City for the following reasons: - Loan him around for the next few years. If he is good enough, he will play for Man City in 2 seasons time in his peak years after grinding it out tough in the Championship. - Once the 4 years are over (or earlier), they keep him in the City family by shipping him to New York or back to Aus. In the case of the A-League, that way the club get to keep their players so that they return in the future. Rinse, repeat and you have a belt of players coming in and out.
Liam Poulton
Roar Rookie
With the full effects of brexit to be sorted out there stands the chance that English clubs will have to look more at the lower leagues than the European leagues. If Mooy can raise a low table championship team to a mid take one it'll look good on his cv. Better to be a stand out player than one who is stuck within a bunch of similar players.
whiskeymac
Guest
Man City buy promising youngsters and almost established players to raise profile. I agree with the premise that they dont need to make a million here or there based on their petrocash backing but if their mission statement (and i freely admit to not knowing it but am just guessing) is to raise a profile of the City group - why not buy the best in the leagues they inhabit, such as MLS and HAL, and offer them opportunity. For the players its wages, overseas and a "taste" of glamour. For the City group its a form of promotion, media and exposure which makes them relevant everywhere - they are a "group" to sign for because they seem to offer something more than the usual shirt number and a photo in an empty stadia next to a smiling suit - they offer the dream, in all their markets, for the EPL opportunity to their players. Mooy isn't signing for Huddersfiield - he's at City, a nouveau riche glam, loaned to Huddersfield. Same thing really but perceptibly it isn't. For every Brattan and Mooy they get maybe they'll get a Pogba or young Ronaldo but even if they dont they are seen to be a pathway for talent. Or. Cld just be they suck the talent out of their rivals and stack their benches with players to give their clubs the better chance of winning and can do this by hiding them overseas in a number of clubs. Either way good luck to mooy - do well and am sure a move to a better club will materialise. If not, well, you will always have Sunderland to look back on.
70s Mo
Guest
For an untested 26 yo Aussie I think Huddersfield is a good fit. If he is any good he will get noticed (not by Man City though) The key is getting game time which so many Aussies going to bigger clubs don't always get.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
+99999
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
Yep players like Verratti and Pogba will be on the Man City shortlist because let's face it, they buy superstars they do not make them. Even when they go local like they did with Delph it seems only to fill their home grown player qouta. On the headline (not sure if John has any say), yes he does stand a chance in England but his chances of playing for City aren't likely. On another note has there been any similar moves happening out of NY City Fc?.
Tom
Guest
A good discussion of the football benefits, but misses perhaps the real reason: $! Given the money sloshing around in English football, perhaps even Huddersfield pay better than lower Serie A or other top leagues. Anyone know?
Fadida
Guest
It's an odd move, full stop. I'm a huge Mooy fan but he's not good enough for City. He would maybe get a game in the lower half of the EPL. I just don't see what is in it for City? There's talk of a sell on profit, but given he's on a pretty big wage they'd need to sell him for a fair bit to make it worthwhile. Even then I don't see why a club with endless resources is worried about trying to make 2-5 million profit. From Mooy's perspective I have no issue. It'll set him up for life. From a football perspective it's a road to nowhere. Huddersfield have nothing to lose, City have nothing to gain. It's a strange one. Let's hope he gets games.
Dean
Guest
If he's good enough for the epl, he will stand out. If he's not, he's at about the right level. Lots of old australian players started in the championship. Vardy started from a lot further back.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Selling Mooy on was an early thought of mine. If he plays well enough and increases his value, then that would be a good outcome for Mooy and the NT. Early days, really.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Yep. Heading for 26 this seems like an ill informed move. Were there other options open for Mooy? He would have to have an outstanding season, then some, you would think to be noticed for the Man City roster next season. Top scorer, top assists, almost single handedly bringing Huddersfield to the EPL. Fingers crossed he can do it. Looking at it differently, Mooy still needs to play. We need him to as one of the key midfielders for our national team. In that sense this might have been the best offer to guarantee that out of a small pool of options. For economic reasons Mooy has four years. It might take him two years to make the EPL. What to watch will be where he may sign and transfer to if Man City no longer want him on their books.
AJ Mithen
Expert
"Is Pep Guardiola going to tell Sheikh Mansour to put the $100 million meant for Pogba et al back in his pocket because there is a lad at Huddersfield who has had a good season?" Brilliant line John. If they aren't going to play Mooy or at least use him as Man City's last man on the bench then I'm not sure what value Mooy will get from spending a year in the Championship. I won't complain about possible benefits for the Socceroos though! Maybe it's just business and they think he can be moved on next year for a profit if he plays well enough for Huddersfield.