Ex-Celtic winger Daniel Arzani heads home to Australia

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The Celtic Star

·22 January 2026

Ex-Celtic winger Daniel Arzani heads home to Australia

Ex-Celtic winger Daniel Arzani has sealed a loan switch back to Australia after completing a loan move to Melbourne City from Hungarian outfit Ferencváros…

Daniel Arzani of the Victory controls the ball under pressure from Nathaniel Atkinson of the City during the A-League Men Grand Final match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on May 31, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old wide player makes the return after a brief spell in Europe. Having only arrived in Budapest last summer, the former Hoops wide man struggled to secure regular minutes under manager Robbie Keane, featuring just five times across all competitions.

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Limited opportunities prompted discussions over a short-term loan move to ensure more consistent playing time.

Arzani will now spend the remainder of the campaign in the A-League, even though he previously played for local rivals Melbourne Victory between 2023 and 2025 before heading to Hungary.

After being unveiled by Melbourne City, the Australian international spoke of his excitement at rejoining the club he originally departed in 2018, describing the move as a special homecoming.

Speaking to Melbourne City’s club website, Arzani said: “It’s great to walk through the doors at City once again and see so many familiar faces.

“There’s a great opportunity ahead both in the A-League and in Asia, and I’m excited to get to work and do everything I can to make an impact for the rest of the season.”

The Australian endured a difficult spell during his time in Glasgow, with a serious knee injury cutting short his early momentum after damaging his ACL in his first outing against Dundee at Dens Park.

31st October 2018, Dens Park, Dundee, Premiership football, Dundee v Celtic; Daniel Arzani of Celtic goes down after picking up an injury

The setback ruled him out for an extended period and stalled his progress at Celtic under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers.

Arzani eventually returned to action with appearances for Celtic’s development squad against Hibernian, before registering one final senior appearance in a Scottish Cup tie with Partick Thistle. His opportunities at first-team level, however, remained limited.

In the build-up to his eventual transfer to Ferencváros, the 27-year-old had also attracted interest from Hearts, who currently sit six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

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