KEY POINTS:
The Wellington Phoenix won't fill their overseas quota this season, potentially leaving Daniel as the only non-Australasian player.
Each A-League team is allowed a maximum of four overseas players but Phoenix chief executive Tony Pignata said they were more interested in recruiting proven Australians and New Zealanders.
Last
season, four Brazilians - Daniel, Felipe, Cleberson and George - were signed. Daniel was the most consistent performer and Felipe showed glimpses of his class but both Cleberson and George were released early from their contracts after failing to make an impact.
"We probably won't fill our quota [of overseas players]," Pignata said.
"It is better for us to have proven players so we are looking at ones who have played in the A-League or ones we know. If one comes out of left field, we would certainly look at it but at the moment Daniel will be the only one."
The Phoenix have already signed Leo Bertos, Andrew Durante and Jon McKain, and Vince Lia re-signed on Friday, and they're on the verge of adding another couple in the next few days.
Hartlepool striker Joel Porter and Auckland City centre back Ben Sigmund are in the frame, while the club is also looking for an attacking midfielder and right back.
Last year's captain, Ross Aloisi, is also in the mix and the club will talk to him in a couple of weeks to see if he still wants to continue playing after an injury-plagued first season in Wellington.
Porter, who has scored six goals in four internationals for the Socceroos, has been with League One side Hartlepool since 2003.
In the 2004-05 season, the 29-year-old scored 14 goals in 37 games but he has struggled with injury the past couple of years. This season, he has five goals from 29 league appearances.
"We have spoken to Joel and shown some interest," Pignata said. "He has another option on his contract [with Hartlepool] but is going to get back to us in the next couple of weeks. Ben [Sigmund] is definitely on the radar. It's going to be down to how the rest of the squad pans out. We don't want to lead him on but he's definitely in the mix."
While signing Sigmund might seem excessive, considering they already have four centre backs, Karl Dodd and McKain are also being thought of as holding midfielders.
Pignata said they wanted to have 95 per cent of the squad finalised by April 1 and that there was still a chance another player would be axed to free up some space - even though they might not fill their allocation of 23 players. Last week striker Royce Brownlie was cut from the squad.
The club is still in negotiations to go on a 10-day pre-season tour of China in June, where they would play three games against Super League sides.
One of their biggest concerns, however, is their exclusion from the National Youth League for 16 to 21-year-olds. All seven of the Australian-based A-League clubs will play in the new competition, announced last week, but Wellington have so far been denied entry.
"We are disappointed not to be in the youth league and are still making submissions to the FFA," Pignata said.
"We can understand they don't want to develop New Zealand youth but if we're not involved, we are going to be left behind by the other clubs. If we have to have seven Australian boys in there, we will do it."
As many as four over-age players can also play, meaning it's a good opportunity for clubs to give squad players game time.
It's estimated the youth league would cost clubs about $300,000 annually.
