Melbourne City set to backflip on Bruno Fornaroli’s future and release star striker to A-League rivals
Melbourne City has backflipped on its vow not to release marquee superstar Bruno Fornaroli to another A-League club, with a sensational swap now on the cards.
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Melbourne City has backflipped on its vow not to release marquee superstar Bruno Fornaroli to another A-League club, with a sensational swap now on the cards.
Perth Glory sharpshooter Andy Keogh has emerged as a City target, leaving a marquee player “trade” now a real possibility.
City coach Warren Joyce, who is desperate for a striker, is interested in Keogh, who he managed when he was a Leeds United youth team coach in 2003-04, when the player first joined the Yorkshire club.
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Glory is considering tabling Fornaroli, 31, a multi-year, marquee deal, with City mulling over what terms to offer to Keogh, who scored his seventh goal of the A-League season in Sunday’s 4-2 win at Brisbane Roar.
Fornaroli, who is City’s record goalscorer, sensationally fell out with Joyce in late November and has not played since, with the club refusing to divulge the reasons.
It’s believed that high skinfolds and rumoured talks with another A-League club were behind Joyce’s decision, with a subsequent harsh exchange of words ending any hopes of a ceasefire.
City’s Scottish winger Michael O’Halloran has also been released from his contract due to homesickness – a hamstring injury resigned the ex-Rangers man made just one A-League appearance, as a late sub in the recent Melbourne derby – opening up another spot for attacking reinforcements.
“We’ll look (to sign) forwards. We’ll look at what movement we can do (out) and what we can do (signing players) and look in forward areas,’’ Joyce said.
A-League clubs are barred from paying transfer fees, which leaves City handcuffed and a swap the only option, with Fornaroli earning around $1.5 million per season.
A Japanese club inquired about Fornaroli and City’s preference was to sell the Uruguayan abroad, but his age and the fact that the Asian transfer market stretches into February, make it problematic.
The current A-League transfer window closes on January 31.
Fornaroli’s preference is to stay in Australia as he is edging closer to obtaining his Australian citizenship.
Adelaide United also entertained the idea of signing Fornaroli, but talks did not progress far.
Former Premier League striker Keogh, 32, has scored 47 A-League goals in 105 games for Glory.
Joyce has continually played a straight bat to questions about the reasons for the Fornaroli fallout, but has been searching for a like-for-like replacement with Lachlan Wales playing a make-shift role up front, with City battling hard to secure four wins, one draw and two losses in his absence.
Fornaroli, whose City contract was due to expire in May, has scored 54 goals in 76 games in all competitions.
He scored five goals in 10 games last season after returning from a broken ankle.
Originally published as Melbourne City set to backflip on Bruno Fornaroli’s future and release star striker to A-League rivals
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