ALAMEDA, California — As reports of some of the world’s biggest clubs eyeing Australian talent start to emerge, Alessandro Circati, no stranger to the transfer rumour mill, says he and his younger teammates can’t afford to be distracted from the task at hand.
There being nothing like a strong FIFA World Cup performance to drive interest, the Socceroos‘ stunning 2-0 upset of Türkiye in their opening Group D game last Saturday has already seen gossip surrounding the future of some of its young starlets surge.
Circati has been linked to the likes of LaLiga giants Atlético Madrid, Premier League outfit Newcastle United, and a Serie A switch to Bologna since that win, while talk of Lucas Herrington to Barcelona continues to grow, and Nestory Irankunda has been tied to Villarreal in Spain and recently relegated West Ham United.
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“Personally, I’ve been through it already,” Circati mused at Socceroo base camp. “Before my ACL injury … there was something like now. I lived through very similar moments, very similar news.
“It does give you motivation, it gives you a better feeling within yourself, that what you’re doing is somewhat correct.
“But we’ve got to really leave that out and really focus on what’s at hand, and then all that, we’ll worry about that after the World Cup. I’ll pass that message on to the two younger boys; maybe they haven’t witnessed something like that, haven’t lived it.
“But the most important thing is to focus on today and tomorrow; after the World Cup, then you can sit down with whoever you sit down with, and decide.”
Of course, with the XI fielded by Tony Popovic against Türkiye the youngest Australia has ever deployed at a men’s World Cup, as well as it being drawn from a squad loaded with debutants at this level, Circati could soon find that he’s needing to provide advice to more than just Irankunda and Herrington.
Beyond the trio being linked with big-time European transfers, Mohamed Toure (Norwich City) and Paul Okon Jr (Sydney FC) are tipped for moves in the near future. Tete Yengi has been floated as a target for Saudi Pro League sides after his strong Asian Champions League Elite season and, as first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, it’s believed Jordan Bos is being actively monitored by several Premier League clubs.
Combined with the praise the squad drew for its adept defensive display against Türkiye, it’s helped contribute to what was already a growing level of excitement surrounding the trajectory of the Socceroos in Australia.
And with big foreign clubs increasingly starting to take note of the talent coming through, and some of the barbs being hurled the squad’s way by foreign media suddenly beginning to lessen following that win, Circati said he hoped a shift in perceptions was occurring.
“Yeah, for sure, I hope we’re starting to gain a little bit more respect,” said Circati. “I don’t want to be the underdog for the rest of my life. I want to be a team that everyone faces [and says] ‘Ah, we’ve got to play Australia!’
“That will come with time, and I’m sure, many boys will go to great clubs, and then once that, once it happens, it will become reality.”
For now, the Socceroos are preparing to face co-host United States in Seattle on Friday.
