At just 21 years old, Bruce Kamau is a supreme young talent. The Kenyan-born youngster enjoyed a breakout season at Adelaide United - helping the A-League side to both the regular season crown and a Grand Final triumph.
However, his time at Adelaide is now over as Kamau has agreed a move to Melbourne City. While this is a huge stab in the back for Adelaide United, it will help Melbourne as they bid to win the Premiers and Grand Final for the very first time. It would certainly be a kick in the teeth for their city rivals, Melbourne Victory, who are currently the A-League's most successful side.
At the time of writing, 32Red Australia are offering 6/1 on City to be crowned A-League champions next season. If nothing else, Kamau certainly has the talent to lead the franchise to the latter stages of the playoffs and from there, who knows. The young Kenyan is a phenomenal prospect and while he doesn't quite have that consistency to make him a top player, Kamau has shown signs of quality and it's only a matter of time before he matures into a fantastic footballer. And Melbourne City is the right place for him to hone in on his current skillset as he looks to develop further and win titles.
.@MelbourneCity sign Kenyan forward Bruce Kamau https://t.co/40BETsURVkpic.twitter.com/sZrdfxTqgW
— Kawowo Sports (@kawowosports) May 8, 2016
But it won't all be about Kamau next season. Melbourne have released five players already this offseason and it's only a matter of time before City begin to think about bringing a few stars into the club. Kamau's arrival was universally accepted by supporters but they are demanding more – and that's fair enough. If City are to reach the top level of Australian football, they need significant investment on a yearly basis to guarantee their spot amongst the A-League's elite franchises.
In terms of their current squad, City have a solid, young core and supporters will be quietly confident of future success – especially if Aaron Mooy signs a new long-term deal with the club. Mooy was simply sensational for City last season and his performances earned him a spot in the A-League Team of the Year. While the 25-year-old has attracted plenty of attention from a number of top European sides, City will be desperate to convince Mooy to stay at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium for the foreseeable future. After all, he's formed a brilliant partnership with Bruno Fornaroli and Kamau would certainly benefit if Mooy was around to lessen the burden on the young Kenyan's shoulders.
Meanwhile, Thomas Sorensen remains an imposing figure between the posts and it could be argued that Melbourne City have the best goalkeeper in the A-League. Like Mooy, Sorensen also features in the Team of the Year and these inclusions mean one thing: progress. In previous years, City have lived in the shadow of arch-rivals Melbourne Victory but they are now ready to take over as the leading force in Australian football. On current form, it's only a matter of time before City make the step up and win the A-League title. It's almost inevitable – especially with young talent like Kamau coming through the ranks.
Kamau's former side, Adelaide, won both the Premiers and Grand Final in the 2015/16 campaign but City believe they can eclipse that feat next season. As of May 19th, Adelaide are 9/2 with 32Red and Netbet to defend the A-League title but it might be City's to lose. Yes, they are relatively inexperienced at the top level but they have the talent to exploit the rest of Australia's top flight. Keeping Mooy is a priority but City will be ready to go again without their talisman and the likes of Fornaroli and Kamau can step up to the plate if required. In fact, Kamau – signed as a man for the future – could be the key factor as City look to continue their progress and claim the A-League title in 2017.
- by James Rose
