Sydney FC may have lost its player of the year, Milos Dimitrijevic, but Graham Arnold has dipped into the transfer market to pick up talented Serbian international Milos Ninkovic.
The 30-year-old spent his best years with Ukrainian giant Dynamo Kyiv, joining it at age 19. Between 2004 and 2013, Ninkovic won two Ukrainian league titles and three Ukrainian Cups, making 162 appearances overall. The fleet-footed Serb also boasts 45 appearances in continental competitions, getting as far as the semi-final in the 2008-09 Europa League season where he started in both legs.
His performance in Ukraine and Europe earned him a spot in the Serbian national team, making his most significant contribution in the 2010 World Cup where he started against Germany and Australia. Overall, he has made 28 appearances for his national team.
Following his successful career at Dynamo Kyiv, Ninkovic spent a short time on loan in the French top flight with Evian in the 2012-13 season. There, he was named in the starting XI in the Coupe de France Final against Bordeaux but finished runner-up. He then requested a return to his hometown to play for Red Star Belgrade. After winning the Serbian SuperLiga title in 2014, he transferred back to Evian where he spent a quiet season, making only 17 appearances.
Without a club at the end of the 2014-15 season, it was believed that Ninkovic would return to his childhood club, Cukaricki. But on 16 July Sydney FC, announced it had signed him on a two-year deal.
While the attacking midfielder may be towards the end of his career, he made it clear he did not come to Australia as a retirement plan.
“I’m excited to be able to play in the Asian Champions League,” Ninkovic said in his first official interview.
“I hope I can bring success to Sydney FC. I want to win silverware.”
Ninkovic has been touted as a like-for-like replacement for Dimitrijevic. However, upon examination, he may be an upgrade. Dimitrijevic deservedly won Sydney FC’s player of the year award, but his timid playing style at times proved to be a liability. The midfield maestro sat back and dictated play during his time at Sydney but his slow pace was easily negated by aggressive defending, especially in the 2014-15 grand final. Arnold’s new Milos appears to be more versatile and with more to offer in attack, able to play as a defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder and left-winger.
Arnold’s headache from the 2014-15 season was a lack of adequate replacements for injured players and the poor versatility of the squad. When Corey Gameiro and Ali Abbas both suffered ACL injuries, Arnold had to improvise and deploy Alex Brosque in an unfamiliar position on the left-wing. With Ninkovic joining the squad, Sydney now has a fix for any temporary gaps in the attacking half of its midfield. Additionally, Ninkovic will create healthy competition with Terry Antonis and Mickael Tavares.
Arnold has backed his latest signing to shine.
“I’m confident that he will be a standout in the A-League,” Arnold said upon announcing the signing.
If Sydney’s strength and conditioning coach Andrew Clark can get an injury-free season out of the Serbian, the Sky Blues may very well be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming season.
Aside from Ninkovic, Sydney has had a relatively quiet offseason but the Sky Blues coach has moved quickly to expand the depth of the squad. With two visa spots left on the books, there is some breathing space for international recruitment.
Other A-League clubs have already moved to make headline signings, however, Graham Arnold’s quiet tinkering of Sydney FC’s squad may be a sign that silverware is on its way to the harbour.
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