Socceroos winger Marco Tilio set to sign loan deal with Rapid Vienna

Socceroo Marco Tilio won’t be returning to Melbourne City, with the Celtic winger instead set to move on loan elsewhere in Europe.

Marco Tilio is set to join Austrian outfit Rapid Vienna on loan from Scottish giants Celtic, ending any faint hopes Melbourne City had that the Socceroos winger would return to the club for the 2025-26 A-League campaign.

City coach Aurelio Vidmar last week said it was “highly likely we won’t have the return of Marco” after Tilio had spent the previous season and a half on loan to the Melbourne club, who are the reigning A-League champions.

Since then, the 23-year-old attacking weapon was used as a second-half substitute by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers in the Hoops’ 4-0 weekend trial win over English Premier League club Newcastle United.

However, reports suggest Tilio – who signed a five-year deal with Celtic in June 2023 – is heading to Vienna for a loan spell with Rapid, who finished fifth in last season’s Austrian Bundesliga.

Socceroos winger Marco Tilio is set to move from Celtic on loan to Rapid Vienna. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Sky Sport has reported the deal will have an obligation clause for Rapid to buy Tilio if he makes 20 competitive appearances for the club.

Celtic, whose reported loan fee is more than $710,000, will pocket about $2.6m if Tilio ends up joining Rapid on a permanent deal.

City’s director of football Michael Petrillo said: “While we were keen to extend his stay and continued discussions with Celtic, we fully support Marco’s ambition to once again challenge himself in Europe.

“We thank him for everything he’s contributed to the Melbourne City and wish him every success in the next stage of his career.”

Rapid’s first competitive match of the new season is a Europa Conference League qualifier on Friday morning (AEST) against Montenegrin club FK Decic.

A good start to the season will help Tilio’s chances of being retained in the Socceroos squad for September’s two matches against New Zealand in Canberra and Auckland.

Meanwhile, former Melbourne City defender Scott Galloway has departed Auckland FC after just one season at the club.

Originally published as Socceroos winger Marco Tilio set to sign loan deal with Rapid Vienna