THE prospects of Italian star Andrea Pirlo following in Alessandro Del Piero’s footsteps to the A-League appear to be vanishing after it was made clear that a package worth almost $10m would be required to secure the services of the decorated midfielder.

Courted by clubs in the MLS and the A-League, Pirlo is deciding on his future after Juventus lost the Champions League final to Barcelona last weekend.

JETS NAME INTERIM BOSS AS INTERVIEWS CONTINUE

A-LEAGUE COACHES TO PUSH FOR TRADE UNION

Though he has a year left on his Juventus contract — and was outstanding in the club’s securing another Serie A league title this season — Pirlo has held open the prospect of a final move before retiring.

Prominent Australian agent Lou Sticca, who persuaded Del Piero to join Sydney FC in 2012 and has close links with Juventus, flew to Italy this week to hold talks with Pirlo’s management and try to sell the concept of moving to Australia.

media_camera Pirlo is now likely to head to the MLS instead of Australia.

Though it was said the dialogue was constructive, various suitors from around the world have also been in contact with Pirlo’s advisers- none yet knowing whether he intends to see out the final year of his Juve deal.

But it has been made clear that his salary expectations should he move are roughly double those that brought Del Piero here, which before tax — and with ancillary benefits including housing and travel — would inflate to nearly $10m.

Only Sydney FC and Melbourne City could realistically even consider such a sum, and neither seems likely to invest such an astronomical figure, even one still so influential among the European elite. Sydney brought the A-League to the world’s attention by securing Del Piero in the face of competition from teams including Liverpool, but have recalibrated their financial model since with a marquee budget believed to be around $1.5m.

Meanwhile Sydney look set to replace departed goalkeeping coach Zeljko Kalac with John Crawley, the respected figure who brought through a succession of goalkeepers at the Mariners including Danny Vukovic and Mat Ryan. Though Crawley is on leave overseas, he is expected to quit the Gosford club next month when he returns and reunite with Graham Arnold at Sydney after Kalac quit the Sky Blues to join Western Sydney.

Originally published as Pirlo wants $10m to join A-League