Sydney FC keen to keep Jurman as suitors circle

The future of off-contract defender Matt Jurman is likely to be resolved this week with Sydney FC keen to re-sign him in the face of competition from five rival A-League clubs and also the Chinese Super League.

Matt Jurman Sydney FC

Off-contract Sydney FC defender is in demand amongst a number of A-League clubs (Getty) Source: Getty Images

Despite missing seven weeks of the season after knee surgery and then a debilitating infection which saw him hospitalised, the 25-year-old stopper emerged as a powerhouse for the Sky Blues in tandem with Senegalese international Jacques Faty.

Coach Graham Arnold is eager to reward him with a new contract, having recently re-signed Faty and in the knowledge that veteran stopper Sasa Ognenovski will not return to the club after his season ending hip injury.

Newcastle Jets, Melbourne City, Perth Glory and Adelaide United are believed to be among those keen to snare Jurman - who made 17 appearances this season - should he opt to move on.

However, he is highly rated by Arnold, so much so that he even deployed last year’s player of the season Nikola Petkovic to left back to accommodate him alongside Faty as Sydney surged to the grand final with a late season burst.

Jurman will get the chance to shine again for the Sky Blues when he comes up against the likes of Harry Kane and Diego Costa in their glamour doube header against Tottenham and Premier League champion Chelsea in the coming days.

The interest in Jurman, who joined Sydney in 2013 from Brisbane Roar, has been heightened by a paucity of available centre backs in the competition.

It is also a reflection on a stellar contribution this season as he has jumped from the shadows to centre stage after beginning the year as a back-up to Petkovic and Ognenovski.

For Jurman's part, he believes he has added a new dimension to his game under Arnold's tutelage.


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2 min read
Published 28 May 2015 8:49pm
Updated 28 May 2015 10:05pm
By David Lewis
Source: SBS

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