The ex-Burnley squad player - who has three Premier League appearances under his belt - has been an imperious presence for City over the past two seasons, and at 24 looks more than ready to test himself anew at a more exalted level.
 
It’s understood City have already lined up a replacement in Wellington Phoenix’s off-contract No.6 Steven Ugarkovic, paving the way for O’Neill’s exit when his current deal expires at the end of the A-League season.
 
Troyes, where Kisnorbo has endured a difficult start since taking charge in late November, are, just like Melbourne City, part of the City Football Group stable of clubs, making the move a virtual in-house operation.
 
They are currently locked in a fraught fight for survival at the foot table, sitting second bottom with just 20 points from 26 games and on a horror run of seven defeats from their last nine matches.
 
With four teams to be relegated this season as Ligue 1 scales back to 18 clubs in 2023-2024, it’s unclear whether Kisnorbo would survive relegation.
 
Such a scenario might also jeopardise O’Neill’s move, though for now at least it’s locked in.
 
The heartbeat of the A-League leaders’ midfield, O’Neill has started all 19 games this season - and has been a pillar of reliability, pulling the strings from his deep lying position.
 
He’s in his third season at the club, where he’s picked up two premierships and made 51 appearances to date, having arrived in 2020 via Central Coast, Brisbane Roar, Burnley, Oldham (loan) and Fleetwood Town (loan).
 
The ex-Olyroo looks to be closer to a maiden senior call up than ever, possibly even for this month’s dual friendly internationals against Ecuador in Sydney and Melbourne.