Gold Coast United have Socceroos striker Bruce Djite in their sights as a replacement for Turkish-bound striker Shane Smeltz.
United coach Miron Bleiberg revealed that while the club had many options from both Australia and abroad it was the 23-year-old Djite who was at the top of their list.
“At the moment the more we look at (Djite) the more he looks the most likely candidate,” Bleiberg said.
“He is a good young Australian player with a bright future and he fits the bill.”
Ironically the former Adelaide United marksman is currently contracted to Turkish outfit Glenclerbirligi – the club which Smeltz is set to join.
It is believed the Turkish club is happy to offload Djite and Bleiberg is keen to add an Australian striker before the transfer window closes on August 31.
“Since the announcement with Smeltzy leaving we have had a lot of offers and suggestions and agents ringing for their strikers to come here from overseas,” he said.
“And I must admit I was surprised by the quality and big names offered.”
But Gold Coast already have five international players in Brazilian brothers Robson and Anderson, English defender John Curtis, Ivorian Adama Traore and Dutchman Bas van Den Brink, and Bleiberg wants the club to remain loyal to them.
“It would be very easy for us to bring a big overseas name,” he said.
“But that would mean we have to tell one of our international players that his services aren’t required any more, and I don-t think that is how Clive (Palmer) operates and it’s not the way I am operating.”
Bleiberg was hardly surprised to lose his go-to man after New Zealand went undefeated through the World Cup in South Africa.
“It was always on the cards that Shane would leave,” he said.
“In any interview I have said it was just a matter of time.”
The second-year club will make an announcement on a replacement early next week but at this point it’s all hands on deck in preparations for Sunday’s hosting of Melbourne Victory.
Performance on the training paddock between now and then will decide who joins Joel Porter on the front-line.
“We have four, five or six options and three days to prepare; whoever will standout will play,” Bleiberg said.
And whoever gets the nod will be thrown straight into Smeltz’s role with the boss hesitant to change his formation.
“We will just replace Shane with another young striker,” he said.
“I declared it from day one – we will play attacking football; we are playing at home and we will be going for the win.”
