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Brillante signing could be just the tonic for Sydney FC

8th July, 2016
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Graham Arnold is the new 'Roos coach. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
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8th July, 2016
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The impending arrival of Josh Brillante to the Harbour City is a welcome sign for Sydney FC fans in an off-season so far dominated by player departures.

The young midfielder is widely tipped to join the Sky Blues from Serie A side Fiorentina after only making two appearances for La Viola in as many years.

Brillante’s expected signing ensures Sydney’s rebuild continues after Graham Arnold began a huge cleanout of the changeroom.

Since the conclusion of the 2015-16 season, Sydney has farewelled Ali Abbas, Micheael Tavares, Jacques Faty, Andrew Hoole, Chris Naumoff, Robert Stambolziev, Riley Woodcock and Zac Anderson.

They have since added two defenders in Micahel Zullo and Alex Wilkinson, both joining from Melbourne City, but have largely been stagnant on the player market until now.

Brillante is no stranger to the A-League, having been on the books for the Newcastle Jets before his big European move in 2014.

A five-time Socceroo, he will no doubt be looking to resurrect his career after a solid if unspectacular loan spell at Serie B side Como.

Resurrection will be a key word thrown around at Sydney FC this season after their shocking fall from grace last campaign. Arnold knows he’ll be skating on very thin ice if the Sky Blues’ woes continue in the early weeks of October.

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But just what will his strategy be?

A large part of Sydney’s problems stemmed from their attacking impotence as they struggled after the departure of Marc Janko.

Slovakian forward Filip Holosko was brought in in Janko’s absence and while he yielded a solid return of ten goals, his season was punctuated with minor injuries and fitness issues.

While this was largely due to the tricky conditions of the A-League, Arnold and Sydney will need to bolster their arsenal ahead of Season 12.

The Sky Blues do boast Alex Brosque and Shane Smeltz, both capable of serious scoring sprees, but a reliance on the veteran duo could make for an even uglier season if things go awry.

Smeltz only managed four goals in 22 appearances and Brosque was plagued by a hamstring injury that limited him to 13 matches. Both are in their 30s and are entering the twilight of their playing years.

So far an unsuccessful attempt to poach Bruno Fornaroli from Melbourne City has been Arnold’s boldest move. No doubt he has a list of strikers to look at but Sydney’s mass cleanout means they must be careful when looking at recruits, if only for fitting under the salary cap.

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Rumours suggested the Sky Blues were looking at Victory keeper Danny Vukovic after Lawrence Thomas’ strong finish last season. While he would be a worthwhile addition to any squad, Sydney’s Vedran Jenjetovic has done more than enough to firmly establish himself as Sydney’s number 1.

The signing of Brilliante reminds us just how much Australian talent is currently in Europe and with the growth of the A-League, coming home has never been a more attractive proposal.

Possible targets include Socceroo Ryan McGowan (China), former Celtic striker Scott McDonald (Scotland) and Brett Holman (UAE), who has himself said he is looking for a ticket home.

McDonald and Holman are both proven attacking weapons and McGowan would be a solid attacking/defensive option. Sydney may be forced to open the chequebook however, with McGowan currently playing for Chinese Super League club Henan Jinaye.

Regardless of what approach Arnold takes, Sydney have a lot of rebuilding to do. Their run to the Round of 16 in the Asian Champions League showed some much needed character and a good start to what looms as a pivotal season for the Sky Blues.

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