Liga Super Malaysia giants Johor Darul Ta’zim have sent out Indonesian wonderkid Syahrian Abimanyu and Kosovan-born Malaysian attacking midfielder Liridon Krasniqi to A-League side Newcastle Jets on loan until the end of the 2021 Australian football season. It is hoped that the move would help Abimanyu develop himself as a player while at the same time providing Krasniqi with adequate playing time that he would struggle to get should he remain with the Southern Tigers.
The decision to loan out both Abimanyu and Kransiqi was announced on Friday by JDT technical director Alistair Edwards.
“Johor Darul Ta’zim have loaned Syahrian Abimanyu and Liridon Krasniqi to Australian club Newcastle Jets,” said Alistair in a statement posted on JDT’s social media channels, “We signed Syahrian (Abimanyu) at the end of 2020 as a long-term signing and this move is in line with the aspirations to develop the player for the next few years. We wish both players the best of luck.”
Abimanyu is a new arrival at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium having signed for JDT on December 2020 and considering JDT’s stacked first team roster, many initially thought that the 21-year old would be spending his first year as a JDT player at the club’s reserve squad at the second-tier Liga Premier Malaysia. However the Southern Tigers felt that it will be better for Abimanyu’s development to have him loaned out to a foreign club outside of Malaysia.
Krasniqi, on the other hand, is a veteran of Malaysian football with five years of experience in the country, having turned out for both Kedah Darul Aman and Melaka United before moving to JDT in 2019. However, the former Slavia Prague youth product found it hard to break into the JDT first team with the 29-year old only making 3 league appearances for the Southern Tigers in 2020. It is hoped that Krasniqi would be able to get some important game time at the Newcastle International Stadium as he seek to earn his first call-up to the Malaysia national team.
“Abi (Abimanyu) is a very skillful player that can see a pass,” said Jets football manager Joel Griffiths as he spoke about Abimanyu to the official A-League website, “He’s only young but possesses a lot of skills you look for in an attacking player. You can’t teach instinctive play and his football instincts are wonderful. Abi’s a very selfless player. The team first mentality gives me confidence that he will slot straight into our team.”
Griffiths then continued with his assessment on Krasniqi, “Krasniqi’s character ticks a lot of boxes. He speaks good English, has a presence in the sheds, and is eager to learn about our culture. He’s committed in expanding his game.”
The duo are currently in quarantine at Sydney and will be able to turn out for the Jets once the A-League mid-season transfer window opens on February 16th.
Abimanyu is set to become the second Indonesian ever to play in the A-League following Sergio van Djik in 2008-10 and 2010-13. With A-League legend van Djik being born a Dutch, Abimanyu will become the first full-blooded Indonesian to play in the Australian top flight. Krasniqi, on the other hand, is set to become the third Malaysian to play in the A-League after Brendan Gan in 2008-11 and Matthew Davies in 2013-15, with the duo being born as Australians with Malaysian heritage. However, should one take into account Krasniqi’s Kosovan heritage, he will become the second Kosovan to play in the Australian top flight, following the footsteps of another A-League legend, Besart Berisha.
Currently underneath the tutelage of caretaker head coach Craig Deans, the Jets are currently bottom of the 12-team A-League, having won only one of their six games so far after a turbulent pre-season that saw owner Martin Lee being removed from his position due to his absence from his responsibilities as Jets owner. The New South Wales-based club are currently underneath the temporary ownership of a consortium consisting of existing investors from other A-League clubs, with the consortium seeking to relinquish the club to a new owner in the near future.