Manchester City have loaned new signing Anthony Cáceres to sister club Melbourne City for the rest of the current A-League season.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side signed the 23-year-old midfielder last week from Central Coast Mariners for an undisclosed fee.

Cáceres is not an international and was never going to challenge for a place in the Manchester City team, and the transfer has caused some consternation in Australia.

A-League clubs are not permitted to sign players for a fee from each other but Caceres’s move to Manchester City has allowed Melbourne to recruit one of the most sought-after players in the division.

Sydney FC chief executive Tony Pignata called for a review of the rules and tweeted: “The loaning of Caceres to City is wrong. There are no transfers between @ALeague clubs yet it seems you can bypass”

The loaning of Caceres to City is wrong. How can @FFA allow this? There are no transfers between @ALeague clubs yet it seems you can by pass — Tony Pignata (@tpignata9) January 19, 2016