Valuable Insights on Isuzu UTE A-League Talent: “It’s a Rare Find”

Who stands out as the most valuable young talent in the Isuzu UTE A-League right now? This intriguing question was explored in this week’s episode of Total A-Leagues.

Host and aleagues.com.au journalist James Dodd was joined by former Socceroo Tommy Oar to examine which burgeoning star within the Isuzu UTE A-League could command the highest transfer fee in the current market.

Western United forward Noah Botic (23) is currently sharing the Golden Boot lead, followed closely by Adelaide United’s sensation Archie Goodwin (18) and Nicolas Milanovic (23).

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Additionally, there’s Western United’s prodigy Dylan Leonard (17), Reds pair Panagiotis Kikianis (19) and Ethan Elagich (21), Sydney FC’s promising talent Adrian Segecic (20), and Melbourne Victory midfielder Ryan Teague (23), all having standout seasons as we head into 2024-25.

According to retired Socceroo and A-Leagues veteran Tommy Oar, he believes Milanovic, who opted to reject European interest to commit to his club at the beginning of the season, is the one to watch. The 23-year-old forward, who has aspirations of representing the Socceroos, has netted eight goals and provided four assists for the Wanderers this season.

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“For me, it’s probably Milanovic from Western Sydney Wanderers,” Oar stated during this week’s Total A-Leagues episode.

“He’s been consistently impressive over several seasons and plays as a goalscoring midfielder.

“It’s rare to see young midfielders scoring as many goals as he does, and his contributions are remarkable. So he’s my top choice.”

James Dodd, host of Total A-Leagues and reporter for aleagues.com.au, remarked: “I think many will be considering Adrian Segecic or Noah Botic.

“However, both Segecic and Botic are nearing the end of their contracts. Nicolas Milanovic, being under contract, is a decisive factor for the Wanderers — retaining him could be incredibly impactful.

“If not, they might as well cash in while they can.”

This comes on the heels of the CIES Football Observatory releasing its latest rankings of the five most valuable young players in the Isuzu UTE A-League.

Leading the list is Auckland FC goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, currently on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth, valued at $4.95 million, followed by Kikianis ($4.45m), Leonard ($4.12m), Elagich ($3.79m), and Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen ($3.63m).