Football Federation Australia is set to make contact with Andres Iniesta’s management to see if the Spanish legend’s interest in an A-League stint is for real.
It comes after four clubs flagged their intention to use a new $3 million war chest announced last week to bring big-name players to the competition next season.
It may be too late to snare Iniesta, with reports out of Japan suggesting the Barcelona great is to sign a three-year deal with J-League club Vissel Kobe worth 25 million euros per season.
But it’s understood Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets and Western Sydney Wanderers are the clubs who will be in the market for recognised name players next season.
The CEOs of the four clubs are due to meet on Thursday to discuss their budgets and how the funds, provided by Fox Sports, will be used.
The views of coaches, who have previously been reticent to take on marquee players, will also be taken into account.
However, A-League chief Greg O’Rourke told AAP the view across the game was “overwhelming” that the competition needs to revisit the marquee concept.
“We will determine with (the CEOs) how this is going to work – do we go out and use $3 million to go and hook one big fish, or three small ones?” O’Rourke said.
“There’s some history that would say that (Alessandro) Del Piero, when he was here with (Emile) Heskey and Shinji Ono was actually quite amplifying.”
Spanish outlet Sport claimed Iniesta, 33, had named Australia has the “preferred destination” to end his glittering career.
O’Rourke confirmed FFA would reach out to the 2010 World Cup winner, but if they miss out as expected, he said approaches have already been made to other potential A-League recruits in recent days.
O’Rourke said a list of targets would be drawn up using publicly available information, as well as help from their PFA and their networks – including the world players’ union FIFPro – and input from clubs.
The A-League had a centralised ‘guest marquee’ fund in 2016 but it garnered only one player, Tim Cahill, whose stint at Melbourne City did not have the desired impact on crowds and TV ratings.
Western Sydney (Eduardo da Silva) and Melbourne Victory (Alessandro Diamanti) had attempts to sign players under the same rule knocked back because they did not meet strict marketability criteria.
O’Rourke said while similar criteria will apply, FFA’s approach will be more “holistic” this time around.
“I think you’ll see a lot more of a collaborative approach rather than (the clubs) bringing players to us, which was the previous approach,” O’Rourke said.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
That is the key problem with any "marquee fund" - that it advantages only the club(s) that access those funds.
realfootball
Guest
I've checked for flying pigs but the skies are clear.
Caltex & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
I don't know what to make of this----is it April's fool day?
TK
Guest
How about some marquee match officials from overseas? 3 million would get us a few who know tricky stuff like how offside works.
Griffo
Roar Guru
What RbbAnonymous said makes sense - like Del Piero was, clubs should be doing this - and it does leave FFA open for criticism of favouring one team, and unequalising the league. Personally $3M could be used to go towards a new A-League team for expansion (whether they’re a new or existing club). Iniesta would be great here (especially for the Jets ;-) ) but a serious deal for a minimum two years is needed. We might be surprised and Iniesta knocks back Japan because Aussie environment and lifestyle is what he’s really after. Cue Joel Griffiths to drive Iniesta and his family along Newy’s coastline to seal the deal before he makes it to Newcastle Uni. Then take him to Pokolbin to buy a vineyard...
Griffo
Roar Guru
Yep.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
On the one hand, it's probably not possible to sign up a player like Iniesta wihout the help of the FFA, but on the other hand, the FFA shouldn't really be helping out just the one club in the name of promotion (unless, perhaps if its a 1:3 matching exercise or similar, but even then....)
RbbAnonymous
Guest
The FFA are dreaming. Why are they getting involved, they are not a football club. It's ridiculous.
Nick Symonds
Guest
There were hopes that Torres might make a move to the A-League but he too has now been linked to the J-League. "Sagan Tosu, who currently sit second to bottom in the Japanese J1 League, are understood to have made Torres an offer worth around €4 million a year to come in and rescue their season." - givemesport.com - Fernando Torres: the man to help revive the A-League? https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/blog/2018/04/10/fernando-torres-man-help-revive-league Fernando Torres has received an offer from a very unexpected club https://www.givemesport.com/1308674-fernando-torres-has-received-an-offer-from-a-very-unexpected-club
Mark
Guest
It really is a vexed issue for A-League clubs. They simply don’t have the money to afford marquee players who can still contribute positively on the field. Those players will go to MLS, the Middle East or China. A-League clubs can only afford these players once their playing ability has declined to a point that they are actually a drag on the team on the field. So the option for clubs is to do nothing, or buy a marquee player that puts some bums on seats but brings the team down on the field. Given the expectations on coaches to win, it’s hardly surprising they’ve passed on marquees in the past, and unless something changes I wouldn’t be surprised if they do again.
Redondo
Guest
The deal includes some sort of business arrangement to do with Iniesta's wineries. The $30 mill may not all be for football.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
If a 36 year old Tim Cahill was worth $4 mill a year, then a 33 year old Iniesta is worth at least three times that figure....at least.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
No club in Japan is going to fork out that type of moolah. I think that is more than the value of Cerezo Osaka's entire squad, and they have assembled the most expensive group of players in the J-League.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Well I nearly fell off the train platform reading about a $3m war chest and then Iniesta could be offered €25m per year to go to Japan (really? or is that just Vissel saying stuff to ward off potential suitors?). Zlatan would fill all the green seats at AAMI for less money.
Barca4life
Guest
Why contact now? They should have let there management weeks or even months ago. Anyway its pretty close that Vissel Kobe who has the same sponsor with Barcelona which is Rakuten will snare Iniesta for around 25 million a year...shows how much the a-league has to go if we are are to get a big marquee player again.