Western Sydney Wanderers’ head coach Alen Stajcic has dismissed the reported interest from Scottish side Aberdeen in striker Nicolas Milanovic, labelling it as “irrelevant.” The talented Wanderers frontman is entirely focused on helping his team secure a strong position deep into the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series.
Currently, Milanovic sits just one goal behind Golden Boot leaders Adrian Segecic and Archie Goodwin, with one match remaining before the Finals. Under Stajcic’s leadership in his inaugural season, the Wanderers are poised to return to the post-season and could potentially finish as high as second on the table after Melbourne City’s goalless draw with Adelaide United on Saturday night.
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With just two points separating them from City and one game left to play, finishing in second place would afford Stajcic’s side a week off to commence the Finals Series, along with a spot in the two-legged Semi-Finals.
While Milanovic didn’t increase his tally of 12 goals during Saturday night’s match, he played a crucial role in Western Sydney’s 1-0 victory over the Newcastle Jets.
Post-match, Milanovic was questioned about the overseas transfer speculation and whether it was affecting his mindset heading into the Finals Series.
“To be honest, my focus is right here,” Milanovic stated to Network 10.
“I have another game to play and then the finals, so I’m determined to give my all here, and whatever transpires later will happen later.”
“I had interest last year too, so I’ve been handling this for about a year and a half now. It’s something you push to the back of your mind because I love playing football, and once I’m out on the pitch, everything else fades away.”
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Wanderers coach Stajcic backed his in-form striker’s sentiment, regarding the speculation surrounding Milanovic’s future.
“There’s been strong links surrounding Milo for the past 12 months, hasn’t there?” Stajcic remarked.
“Nothing has been definitively signed off for him; he’s currently navigating various processes. However, for our team and for him, it’s pretty much irrelevant at the moment. He needs to concentrate on the present, and he has been doing that since Round 1.
“There was considerable speculation about him departing prior to the season, so he has been carrying the weight of those rumours and insinuations for quite a while. I think he’s demonstrated throughout the season, and tonight as well, that he can perform under such scrutiny and pressure.
“He must remain focused on the here and now, and I believe everything will take care of itself by the end of the season.”
The Wanderers are set to face the Macarthur Bulls on Saturday, May 3, in the final round of the 2024-25 regular season.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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