"He's still a contracted player" - Vidmar focused on Wanderers amidst Maclaren speculation

As he prepares for a do-or-die Wanderers clash, Melbourne City coach Aurelio Vidmar has batted away the latest round of speculation over skipper Jamie Maclaren's future.

In the wake of Jamie Maclaren providing his strongest hint yet that he’s set to leave the club in the offseason, Melbourne City boss Aurelio Vidmar has batted away questions on his out-of-contract skipper’s future, saying he has “no idea” on the status of talks between the striker and club management and that, if he did, it was City policy not to speak on the matter. 

Maclaren returned to the City starting XI for the first time in five games against Perth on Sunday, logging a full 90 minutes and scoring a goal in their record-setting 8-0 thrashing of the Glory. 

In the last year of a contract extension signed in 2021, the 30-year-old’s move to the bench coincided with what has been a down year by his lofty standards, his goal against the Glory just his second across the second half of the A-League Men season and ninth on the campaign. One of the league’s consistent threats — the rumour mill was linking him with a move to Japanese sideFagiano Okayama at the start of the season — the last time the Socceroo striker failed to hit double-digits in a full A-League Men season was in 2014-15 – when he scored nine goals across 20 appearances, seven starts, with Perth Glory.

Maclaren is fourth in the league for expected goals (xG) this season with 13.1 – trailing only Adam Taggart, Bruno Fornaroli, and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos – and is sixth in the league for xG per 90 amongst players with at least half of available match minutes, suggesting that the underlying threat he possesses remains. But with the goals not falling and statistical output not coming from elsewhere (Maclaren is equal 53rd in the league with two assists, while his 0.2 expected assists (xA) per 90 is equal 168th league), speculation has mounted, especially when combined with City’s broader challenges of significant squad turnover and inconsistency, that the striker will depart this offseason as a free agent. 

Maclaren has received significant praise from those at City for his work on the training track and in support of his teammates during his time out of the XI, including from 18-year-old Max Caputo, who was brought into the side in his place by Vidmar and responded with a goal and two assists. And while it’s clear that Maclaren is still backing himself to do a job whenever called upon – as you’d expect from someone with more A-League goals than anyone else in the competition’s history – his post-Glory comments to Network Ten suggested that Caputo’s presence up front would be a regular sight next season. 

“I’m the captain of the club, so you have to accept the decisions,” Maclaren said.

“This is a team sport and I had to help the boys, rally the boys through the good and bad results.

“[Look to] help young Maxy [Caputo] because, at the end of the day, he is probably the guy who is going to be banging in the goals for this club next season.

“You just want to be there and be there to support them. When I get my chance, I try and take it. Like today, Viddy [Vidmar] put me back in and I thought it was justified.”

Given that he played and scored in an 8-0 thrashing of Glory, it’s highly likely that Maclaren retains his place in the City starters for their coming fixture against Western Sydney on Saturday, a game they must avoid defeat in to ensure their hopes of maintaining a decade-long streak of playing finals football remain alive. 

Sitting on 34 points, a Wanderer win would put them four clear from City's 33 and eliminate them from finals contention heading into the last week of the season. A draw or City win would mean it would come down to the last week of the season when the Wanderers face Melbourne Victory on Saturday and City clash with Western United on Sunday, with both games at AAMI. 

And with Maclaren, regardless of what comes next, still representing City this season – he’ll move into outright second on their all-time appearances list if/when he takes the field in Parramatta – Vidmar’s views on Thursday centred on on-pitch rather than contractual matters. 

“I have no idea what's going on between management and Macca in terms of potential discussions of what's happening next year,” Vidmar told JDL media. 

“You have to also respect that the policy here is that we never speak about player's contracts and what's going on. In time, I'm sure the media will all find out exactly what's going on. 

“We can't stop players talking to the media, feeling and saying what they feel. That's absolutely fine. 

“But at the end of the day, he's still here, he's still a contracted player. We've got a hell of a lot to play for in the next couple of weeks. 

“He's come back and played well, scored, and we're just looking for continued improved performances from him and from everyone else.”