Aaron Mooy set for record £10m move to Huddersfield as Man City insert buy-back clause

The Australian loanee was the cornerstone of Town’s magnificent 2016-17 campaign which ended in a historic first promotion to the Premier League, with the full-time signing of the 26-year-old being the club’s big close-season priority.

Mooy, named as the club’s ‘player of the year’ last month and also recognised by his peers in being named in the PFA’s ‘Championship team of the season’ in April, is expected to join from Manchester City for £8m, with a further £2m in add-ons.

A buy-back clause is also understood to have been inserted into the deal.

The move is close to being finalised, with Mooy set to become the best-paid Huddersfield player in the club’s history – on reported wages of £35,000 per week.

The deal would also see the Sydney-born player become the most expensive Australian footballer of all time following completion of the transfer.

Town’s previous transfer record was set last summer when they shelled out £1.8m to sign 1860 Munich defender Christopher Schindler.

Mooy – a big target of promoted Brighton and also strongly linked with Southampton – ended his commitments with Town following promotion and returned to parent club City.

There were suggestions that Mooy might be given a chance to prove himself in Manchester in 2017-18, but, after assessing the player, Pep Guardiola decided he wanted to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements, albeit with the buy-back option.

City are also mindful of being guaranteed a huge profit on Mooy, whom they signed on a free from sister club Melbourne City last summer.

Mooy is on Confederations Cup duty with Australia in Russia, with the Socceroos facing Group B games with Germany on June 20 and Cameroon three days later before facing Chile on June 26.

The news regarding Mooy’s permanent arrival will further add to the feelgood factor at Town, fresh from head coach David Wagner agreeing a new contract in principle ahead of heading off for a summer break.

Town will now press ahead with other key transfer business, with the club targeting several new recruits.