Budzinski, 27, joins City from the Polish Ekstraklasa – the nation’s top football tier – where he played 200 matches for club sides Arka Gdynia and KS Cracovia, having developed through the Polish U-19, U-20 and U-21 national teams.

The Polish midfielder has never been capped at senior level by his country, nor has he played club football outside of his homeland.

City Coach Warren Joyce said: “Marcin is an imaginative midfield player with high-level experience both in the top domestic league in Poland, and with the Polish national team.

“He arrives at an important time for the team as we finalise our pre-season and prepare for our first A-League match, and I have no doubt the fans will be excited to see him play for the first time.”

Budzinski said: “One of the reasons I joined Melbourne City is the ambition for success that every single person involved in the Club has.

“We are all here to play the best football we can, to work hard and to do our best to win for the fans. I have just arrived in Australia but already I feel at home, and with three weeks to go until the first game, I can’t wait to get started.”

Budzinski travelled from Poland to the headquarters of Melbourne City’s sister club, Manchester City, to undergo his medical assessment and meet with City Football Group’s Brian Marwood.

“We’ve identified Marcin as the type of player who can provide Melbourne City with experience at a high level, drawing upon his involvement in Poland’s international youth teams, which has produced a high pedigree of players, and his credible club career,” Marwood said.

On his first day at the City Football Academy, Budzinski met 16 junior players from Melbourne City’s junior affiliate clubs Watsonia Heights FC and Glen Eira, as City launched a new partnership with McDonald’s Australia.