Talisman Tolgay Arslan unexpectedly parts ways with Melbourne City

Melbourne City has been left stunned by the sudden exit of an A-League All-Star.

Melbourne City’s 2024-25 A-League title hopes have suffered a crushing and unexpected blow with the departure of the club’s best player, German midfielder Tolgay Arslan.

The 33-year-old playmaker had a season to run on his City contract but this week requested an early release, which blindsided club officials “reluctantly agreed” to.

It’s understood Arslan cited family reasons for wanting an immediate return to Germany.

“I’m disappointed to be leaving Melbourne, but I am grateful for the opportunity to have played for City and appreciate the club’s understanding in my decision,” he said.

“I want to thank my teammates, the coaches, the staff, and the City fans and wish them the very best of luck for the season.”

Tolgay Arslan has been given an early release from his Melbourne City contract. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

City’s director of football Michael Petrillo said it was “very disappointing to lose a player of Tolgay’s quality”, particularly with pre-season training having already started.

“Sometimes there are factors out of our control,” Petrillo said.

“He’s a player we absolutely wanted to keep, and we did everything in our power to find a way for him to stay.

“In my 20 years of working in football, I’ve never seen an instance where keeping a player against their will ended up being a positive thing for all involved.

“We would like to thank Tolgay for his contribution and wish him and his family all the best in the future.”

Arslan, who joined City in June last year after three seasons with Italian top-flight club Udinese, scored 19 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions for the Melbourne team.

His form earnt him A-League All-Stars selection as well as City’s player-of-the-year and players’ player awards.