Retaining talisman Aaron Mooy is vital to Melbourne City's long-term success

Retaining talisman Aaron Mooy is vital to Melbourne City's long-term success [VIDEO]

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After scraping into the A-League finals last season, Melbourne City have had an extremely busy and productive offseason in an attempt to return to the finals.  

They have hosted parent club Manchester City and more than held their own, with only an 86th minute stunner from Samir Nasri separating the two sides.

They have been busy adding talent to their roster, signing two international defenders in Aaron Hughes and Michael Zullo, the latter already having proven himself to be a success in the A-League.

They have also been busy in the marketing sector, with the announcement of a partnership between the club and coconut company Coco Joy. Even with all the work City have done through the off-season so far, their most important work is still yet to be done.

In May this year, midfielder Aaron Mooy swept City’s end of season awards, taking home the Golden Boot, the Fans’ Player of the Year and the Player of the Year awards. Playing as an attacking midfielder, Mooy topped the goalscoring charts for City with seven goals and assists with eight, becoming the only player in the league to finish top of both categories for his club.

He was not just topping charts at City, however. Mooy finished the season with the most crosses in the league, the most balls into the penalty area and the highest number of chances created. His excellent season resulted in him coming into calculation for the Socceroos, only narrowly missing Ange Postecoglou’s final squad for the Asian Cup. It is fair to say Mooy was the most influential Melbourne City player in season 2014-15.

Mooy’s contract with City extends to the end of the 2015-16 A-League season, before he becomes a free agent meaning he is available to all clubs. Even before that, Mooy is receiving interest from European clubs, with sides from the Premier League, Bundesliga and Dutch Eredivisie all rumoured to have interest in the 24-year-old.

With eyes on cementing his place in the Socceroos lineup, Mooy may be tempted by the reality of European football, leaving City to further develop his game. This is a scenario the club can ill-afford, with Mooy being the key cog in an otherwise inconsistent side.

They have young talent in the likes of Corey Gameiro and Harry Novillo, as well as proven performers such as Erik Paartalu, Ivan Franjic, Patrick Kisnorbo and now Zullo. Even with their improved roster, losing a player of Mooy’s ilk would be a huge blow to a club looking to step out of the shadow of big brother Melbourne Victory and win their first A-League crown. City wants Mooy to be their present and their future. For them to be successful, it is vital they find a way to keep him in Melbourne long-term.

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