Jeffrey Sarpong confirmed.

27 year old played most of his career in the Eredivisie and La Liga.

Good signing.

We lost seven players in the off season, need reinforcement s at the front and back.

Edited by ryanm: 20/8/2015 08:45:54 PM

Jesus christ

Wellington Phoenix still hunting for overseas striker as A-League season looms

The fractured world football market continues to stymie the Wellington Phoenix.

Coach Ernie Merrick had hoped the A-League club would've finalised their 2015-16 roster by now but securing an imported striker has so far proved easier said than done.

"In my nine years or so in the league I've discovered that it just gets more and more complicated to sign a player because there's just so many countries chasing players nowadays. Sometimes countries that we weren't competing with previously," Merrick said.

The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia - Merrick's list went on. The United States, China, Japan, Korea, the Middle East.

Teams everywhere want a goal scorer and invariably have more money at their disposal than the Phoenix.

"One boy that we had a look at at one stage, before we we could have a proper look at him, he went to Azerbaijan and I thought: woah, things have changed," Merrick said.

"Frequently you also have to go through two agents now and not one, for a variety of reasons. There's lots of options now for players, even though they might not be top-level players, although some of them are.

"So we haven't got a signature yet and I will never change. I will never announce to our fans that someone's signed and is ready to go, until it's all been done and dusted."

Merrick will continue to do his due diligence on potential targets and hope that terms will be agreed to in time for the Phoenix's season-opener against the Newcastle Jets at Westpac Stadium on October 11.

"We've got it down to three and we're hoping to get one of them over the line. Mind you, I've been saying that for about three weeks," said Merrick.

The immediate priority is Sunday's clash with New Zealand A, in New Plymouth on Sunday. The Phoenix will stop to meet Whanganui-based fans on the way, as part of the club's commitment to acknowledging the people beyond Wellington that support them.

Then it's on a plane to Australia for Wednesday's FFA Cup round of 16 tie against Melbourne City.

"It's a very important game because it not only gives us another good A-League pre-season game and puts us under pressure, but this is the team that knocked us out of the finals [last season] and had us playing pretty poor football because of the pressure they put us under," Merrick said.

"I really felt that the boys let themselves down in that game because they're a much better team than they showed that day and we were all at fault there. But this gives us an opportunity to produce a really good performance against them and prove that's hopefully a one-off and we're better for the experience."

A number of Phoenix first-team regulars, such as Glen Moss, Michael McGlinchey and Louis Fenton, plus a host of their merging age-group stars, have been included in the New Zealand A squad for Sunday's match at Yarrow Stadium.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/71304212/wellington-phoenix-still-hunting-for-overseas-striker-as-aleague-season-looms

But don't you need a quality striker more than anything?

Would mean we can get an import CB though.

Definitely not a striker.

Would be interesting; perhaps we've missed out on Sarpong and are going full tilt for Oar instead.

Could it be Tommy Oar?

https://twitter.com/SocStoppageTime/status/634173233521033216

Nix apparently offered him $600k per season.

Yeah, the visa players are:
Krishna, Riera, Bonevacia, and Rodriguez so we have one spot left.

Would Sarpong be your last VISA spot? He looks pretty impressive, good age too. Looking forward to watching the Dutch pair play together.

Rumours are the guy is Dutch, knows Bonevacia, and will arrive on Monday, odds are on Sarpong.

Especially when considering this tweet between Bonevacia and Sarpong from April: https://twitter.com/RolyBonevacia/status/593352549073162242


Translates to something like:




Edited by ryanm: 20/8/2015 11:09:10 AM

I'd pay his wages if he goes to victory, not a victory fan at all.. But I'd love to see him and berisha in the same team .. Also bring back Pablo coentrao, roy keane and gennaro gattuso from retirement..

A number 10, not Joey :lol:

Yes but remember ernie wanted to turn a midfielder into a striker.

Probably fell apart when he was asking for 40k pounds PER WEEK!

Was NEVER EVER going to happen. Whoever you heard that from was clearly smoking something. Not to mention the fact that that they are desperately in need of a striker not a midfielder.

Still might happen but im now fairly convinced it fell apart and there getting Saprong

This fucking thread is still going??!!

You said it was Joey Barton only a few days ago..

Its Jefferey Saprong

Yeah has to be something holding things up, Phoenix are now saying another week.

Maybe the dude can't get a working visa or something

Does anyone know why it's taken so long??

Agreed; though, guess there isn't a huge rush considering the season is still a way out.

Might be Tony Cottee.

Seriously how much longer are they going to drag this on for........

Yeah he said he was in New Zealand for a weeks holidays :) he's not playing in the A-league. To be honest, it would be amazing if he did one day, but I doubt it.
Hopefully nix sign someone big, or someone with potential like they did with Alejandro Gorrin, and bonevacia

Seems to be in preseason with a spanish second division club, also the timing is wrong as the new player is supposed to arrive for a physical this week.

Maybe was just here on holliday?

I seen Gai Assulin in Wellington 3-4 weeks ago if that's anything to go by?

You need a new source Bozza1#. :lol: