Adelaide United is looking to add one more attacking player to its fold ahead of its Asian Champions League campaign which begins against the Pohang Steelers in 17 days.
The Reds have already bolstered their squad with the inclusion of Marcos Flores, who debuted against Brisbane Roar on Saturday, former Newcastle and Gold Coast player Adam Griffiths while Central Coast’s Nigel Boogaard is still poised to join the duo at Hindmarsh Stadium.
But the recruiting hasn’t finished yet – Adelaide coach Aurelio Vidmar says the team has another player on its radar.
“With a bit of luck we might have some news in the next three or four days so fingers crossed … if it works great, if it doesn’t then it doesn’t,” he said.
Rumours Roar player Sergio van Dijk is considering a move weren’t extinguished by Vidmar who, when asked by a journalist whether the player in their sights was on the pitch on Saturday, replied: “Don’t know mate.”
Another quality finisher could be just what the Reds need to put a disappointing Hyundai A-League season behind them. Strikers Lloyd Owusu and Cristiano have been given plenty of opportunities to display their wares but haven’t dominated while Mathew Leckie, who’s been a lone hand up front in the past two weeks, is looking dangerous but needs support.
Vidmar hopes Leckie, who joined the side as a midfielder, can become a versatile player for the side.
“He’s a second striker so he’s finding his feet and I think for him in a new position, if he can learn to play a couple of positions in the front third I think there could be a situation where you can rotate during the course of the game,” he said.
“We know he can play in a high right or a high left and even as a second striker because he likes coming deep. This position he’s played over the last couple of weeks is a position where it is sometimes unforgiving because you don’t get a lot of the ball.”
While recruits will help the cause, captain Travis Dodd believes the team’s strong work ethic and positive attitude may also see its attacking game improve.
Dodd said the team’s efforts in the victory against the Roar on Saturday were outstanding.
“We worked a lot on it during the week, runs into the box and crossing, and the first goal was virtually a carbon copy of what we’ve been doing at training so it’s great to see as a player, the stuff you do work on in training, coming off in games,” Dodd said.
“Something that we haven’t shown probably throughout the season is a strong resolve to hold out other teams and that desperation for 90 minutes but it was certainly there from the back to the front, no-one could be faulted.”
