We take a look at some of the key moves so far during the January transfer window.
We take a look at some of the key moves during the January transfer window.
Newcastle Jets have welcomed back one of their favourite sons Joel Griffiths, for the remainder of the season.
Griffiths, who has spent five years in China (save for a short spell at Sydney FC last season), returns to the club where he scored 28 goals in 60 appearances, winning both the Golden Boot and the Johnny Warren Medal in the Jets’ Championship winning 2007/08 season.
The move adds to the Jets already impressive stable of attackers, including Adam Taggart, Michael Bridges, Emile Heskey and Joe Gibbs, while the possibility of Nathan Burns returning again from Korea hasn’t been discounted.
Joel’s brother Ryan has also returned to the Hyundai A-League, signing with Adelaide United. Ryan Griffiths is also a former Jet and scored 19 goals for Newcastle from 2011 to 2013, and returns to Australia after a season in China with Beijing Boxy.
Sydney FC and Yairo Yau agreed to a mutual termination of his contract after the Panamanian was diagnosed with a long-term injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. The lightning fast winger scored six goals in 27 appearances for the Sky Blues, but had neither scored nor started a match in this campaign.
Sydney FC’s coach Frank Farina, last week indicated that he was looking at signing Serbian midfielder Milos Dimitrejevic, for the rest of season.
Across the ditch, Wellington Phoenix signed Auckland City striker, Roy Krishna. The forward is the first Fijian to play in the Hyundai A-League and joins the Phoenix squad as an injury replacement for Paul Ifill, who will sadly miss the rest of the season with an achilles injury.
Krishna has scored 14 goals in 22 appearances for the Fijian national team and 72 goals in 103 appearances for Waitakere United, before his brieft stint at Auckland City.
Wellington also extended the contract of their second-choice goalkeeper, Lewis Italiano. The 22-year-old is yet to make an appearance for the Phoenix, but will hope to change that after signing a 12-month extension.
Central Coast Mariners was dealt a blow with the departure of Michael McGlinchey. The All Whites midfielder joins former coach Graham Arnold, at J-League side Vegalta Sendai. McGlinchey will spend the entire J-League season on loan in Japan, and will miss the start of the next Hyundai A-League season.
As a replacement though, Mariners have picked up Bernie Ibini, also on loan. Ibini was sold to Shanghai East Asia six months ago, but he has rejoined the Mariners until June. Ibini’s initial three years at Central Coast yielded 15 goals in 61 matches and he was in the side that won the Grand Final last season.
And while not strictly a January transfer, Melbourne Heart’s marquee midfielder Orlando Engelaar, looks set to make his Hyundai A-League debut this weekend after suffering a leg fracture in a pre-season friendly against Brisbane Roar.
