Adelaide United may offer Tim Cahill an A-League lifeline
ADELAIDE United officials will approach Socceroos superstar Tim Cahill’s management team on Thursday in a bid to rescue the striker’s bid to remain in premium form for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in June.
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UPDATE: ADELAIDE United officials will approach Socceroos superstar Tim Cahill’s management team on Thursday in a bid to rescue the striker’s bid to remain in premium form for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in June.
It could be a fitting potential finale for Cahill if Adelaide can snare the greatest Socceroo and help lead him to Russia.
Cahill, who turned 38 on Wednesday, shocked the A-League when he announced he would be leaving Melbourne City immediately by mutual agreement.
After United’s general manager of football Ante Kovacevic on Wednesday told The Advertiser he would discuss the possibility of luring Cahill to Adelaide once he spoke to coach Marco Kurz, the German ratified the decision during an afternoon meeting.
Kovacevic on Wednesday night told The Advertiser Cahill signing for Adelaide isn’t “dead in the water.”
“We will be approaching his management team to see where it’s at,’’ Kovacevic said.
“We’ll need to find out every detail about Tim and his intent before discussions go any further but yes we are keeping the option open.”
Kovacevic also believes Cahill will fit inside Adelaide’s salary cap.
Adelaide has room for two more players on its roster including an import.
But it’s understood Cahill has already had approaches from European and Japanese based clubs after his shock announcement.
The Socceroos striker is believed to be on the hunt to play sooner rather than later meaning the A-League or a European based club makes more sense because they’re currently in season.
He can only play for other clubs in those leagues once the January FIFA transfer window opens for business while the J-League starting after January could put Cahill’s hopes of trying to impressive a new Socceroos boss in jeopardy
The timing of Cahill’s departure comes less than 24 hours after the Reds confirmed Algerian international Karim Matmour would be leaving immediately for personal reasons.
Cahill last month signalled his intent to leave City after scoring crucial goals in the Socceroos World Cup campaign.
Cahill has played just 95 minutes for City and has started once without scoring a goal this season.
He made no secret of the fact he has targetted representing the Socceroos at his fourth World Cup in Russia.
He claimed he needed lots of club game time to have any chance of meeting the level required to play for the Socceroos in Russia.
Cahill has scored 11 goals during the recent 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Cahill kick started his international career in Adelaide in 2004 scoring his first Socceroos goals Hindmarsh and at Marden.
He scored five times in Adelaide during those World Cup qualifiers.
The tournament eventually led Cahill to becoming the first Australian to score a goal at a World Cup when he jagged the opening goal against Japan (3-1) at the 2006 World Cup in Kaiserslautern.
He has scored 50 goals in 103 Socceroos appearances.
Originally published as Adelaide United may offer Tim Cahill an A-League lifeline