NEWCASTLE Jets goalkeeper Mark Birighitti has flown to Germany to discuss a possible transfer to Bayer Leverkusen.

The A-League club confirmed this morning that the 22-year-old had been given permission to fly to Europe on Sunday to talk to representatives of the Bundesliga side, before returning to Australia ahead of the Jets’ clash with Perth Glory on Saturday.

Birighitti has long been regarded as one of Australia’s finest young goalkeepers and had started to produce his best after leaving Adelaide for Newcastle for first-team football.

However, the stopper was dropped for the Jets’ game against Wellington Phoenix last weekend, following accusations that transfer talk has affected his performance in the F3 Derby loss to Central Coast Mariners.

Should he secure a contract, Birighitti will join compatriot Robbie Kruse at Leverkusen and a growing number of young Australian players in Germany.

Originally published as Jets keeper heads to Germany