Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold has held off on signing another European player in order to attract a player who’ll be desperate for a contract in the Hyundai A-League.
“I wanted to wait until the end of the transfer window in Europe, that’s when players are desperate and they have no other options,” Arnold told www.a-league.com.au.
“Because we don’t have the money to splash out on a player, they’ve got to want to have to come here to perform on an incentive-based contract that if they do perform well on a minimum wage they’ll get a second year.
“There’s a couple of players in Holland we’re looking at as well,” he added.
However, ex Sydney FC skipper Terry McFlynn’s close relationship with now-former-West Ham defender George McCartney could be the key to the Northern Ireland international joining the club.
Arnold confirmed the club were talking McCartney, who is un-contracted after leaving the Hammers at the end of the last EPL season.
McFlynn and McCartney were room-mates when they played together at youth level with Northern Ireland and their families have remained close ever since.
Still a part of the Sydney set-up despite retiring at the end of last season, McFlynn has been acting as a go-between as Sydney look to add at least one more player before the new Hyundai A-League season.
“We’re talking to George (McCartney). He’s a player that’s got a lot of experience and he’s a good mate of Terry McFlynn’s which has helped enormously,” Arnold said.
“He’s a guy that’s played 300 games in the Premier League and in the UK and he wants a different experience.
“If we were able to get him it would be fantastic. I want two players for every position and we don’t have that at left-back.
“We’ve got young Alex Gersbach who’s only 17 and is doing very, very well. But when I look at what we’ve got, we’ve got two players for every position except for left-back so I’d like to get someone in there.”
The Sky Blues have been one of the in-form sides during pre-season, taking out the recent Townsville Cup defeating champions Brisbane Roar and the Newcastle Jets along the way.
They are also through to the last 16 of the Westfield FFA Cup after knocking off Melbourne City last month, the team they will meet in the Hyundai A-League season opener in a month’s time.
“I think we’re ahead of where I want us to be. I’ve found myself having to back off a little bit this week,” Arnold added.
“We’ve still got quite a bit of work to do tactically, our performances defensively have been good but with the ball we need to get better.
“I’m very happy to be at Sydney, I’m excited to be at Sydney FC. I’ve fallen in love with the club quickly and I’m passionate about what we’re doing here.”
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