Melbourne City ‘Absolutely Requires New Talent’ Following Shift to Free-Agent Market

Aurelio Vidmar, head coach of Melbourne City, has announced that the Isuzu UTE A-League team is actively seeking a goalkeeper after James Nieuwenhuizen suffered a season-ending injury.

The 21-year-old goalkeeper has been ruled out for a significant period following a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, and has already undergone surgery.

As the backup keeper to Patrick Beach this season, Nieuwenhuizen’s injury has posed a challenge for City, with youth goalkeeper Lachlan Charles expected to step up and provide bench cover for Saturday’s match against Sydney FC.

Vidmar is eager to recruit a replacement goalkeeper at the earliest opportunity.

“Yes, we need to do this, as we also require an additional goalkeeper for training,” Vidmar said when asked about acquiring a new keeper.

“The players we have beneath are only 14-15 years old, and they have trained with us a couple of times. We definitely need someone with more experience.”

“The challenge lies in finding the right individual. Currently, we haven’t come across anyone available, which complicates matters significantly. To be honest, we’re right in the midst of negotiations and hopefully, we can secure someone within the next week.”

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Charles is poised to be on the bench for City’s trip to Sydney this Saturday.

The young keeper signed his first professional contract leading into the 2025-26 season after graduating from the club’s academy.

This season, he has been competing with Alessandro Diamanti’s senior academy squad in the VPL1, the second tier of Victorian football.

“Honestly, Lachie has performed exceptionally well at the NPL level. He’s a young keeper still gaining experience and has been doing quite well, but there’s still a considerable way for him to go,” Vidmar commented.

“At just 17, goalkeepers are still in their developmental stages. It will take him some time, but we believe in him, as we do with our other goalkeepers, who we anticipate will become very competent keepers in the future.”

When asked about his search for a short-term solution, Vidmar added: “We already have too many young players in our squad, so we need someone a bit more mature with some experience.”

“However, most of those experienced players are under contract, whether at NPL level or elsewhere, making it a bit of a challenge to secure one.”