It has emerged that Japanese playmaker Shinji Ono will on Friday be unveiled as the inaugural marquee player of A-League club the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Media sources, including The Australian newspaper, have reported that the former Feyenoord and Wolfsburg man, capped 56 times for his country, has terminated his contract with J-League club Shimizu S-Pulse.
It is understood that Ono and Shimizu manager Afshin Ghotbi had fallen out and both parties reached an agreement to end Ono’s time at the club yesterday.
Earlier in the day it was reported that Michael Ballack, who was also a strong candidate to join Western Sydney, had issued an ultimatum to the Wanderers, asking for a concrete offer from the club before close of business on Friday.
It now seems likely that Ballack will recommence discussions with clubs in the Middle East and United States, who he had turned down earlier in the hope of securing a move to Australia.
Tomorrow’s expected announcement will leave the Wanderers with six foreign players, one above the usual quota of five.
However, over the weekend the FFA confirmed that the Wanderers will be granted an extra visa slot for their first two years of existence to aid the start-up club.
Ono is expected to sign a two-year-deal amounting to $800,000 per season.
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