LUCA Toni — Italy’s 2006 FIFA World Cup winning striker — has been offered to Adelaide United.

Toni in a Reds shirt could hand Adelaide a massive chance to dust off the small club mentality and finally play with the ‘big boys’ of the A-League — Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City.

Adelaide chief executive Michael Petrillo confirmed the Toni proposal.

“We’re looking at all possible new player options for next season,’’ he said on Friday.

Toni who is strong in the air and neat with both feet is looming as the perfect Adelaide marquee signing.

Given many of Adelaide’s sponsors, members and fans have Italian heritage Toni could have the same impact as his Azzurri World Cup winning teammate Alessandro Del Piero when he penned a deal for Sydney FC in 2012.

Adelaide should be able to reap fiscal benefits from the strong 92,000 plus Italian community in SA after Del Piero managed to draw record sponsorship and record TV ratings and global reach when he played two seasons for the Sky Blues.

Del Piero told a private function in Adelaide last year United may have been a good option for him as a player given the reception he received when he played two matches at Coopers Stadium in front of nearly 30,000 fans.

Del Piero cost Sydney about $8 million in salaries over two seasons but it’s understood the return from investing in the Italian was far greater.

Toni won’t be cheap but it’s believed the former Juventus, Bayern Munich, AS Roma, Palermo, Genoa and Fiorentina striker won’t have the same price tag attached to his contract.

It’s believed he could command up to $1 million a season.

At 193cm Toni, 37, has been scoring Serie A goals galore for one of Italy’s smaller clubs Hellas Verona this season.

European representatives are currently preparing dossiers on the many benefits of Toni moving to Adelaide along with a first class line up of stars as A-League marquee players for other clubs.

It’s understood Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, Juventus’ Andrea Pirlo and Greek superstar Georgios Samaras will be available as marquees for the A-League and the US major league soccer clubs at the end of their current seasons.

And with the A-League heading for a new TV deal in 2017 insiders are saying it’s vitally important for clubs to invest in higher quality marquee players that have real drawing power next season or it could affect their future income stream.

A big boost in TV ratings will give the A-League much more leverage for the next broadcast deal after the last broadcast contract was worth about $40 million a season.

Toni has bagged 19 goals in 36 Serie A matches including strikes against Napoli, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Lazio after scoring 20 goals for Verona in 34 matches last year.

Luca Toni best goals 2013/14

Toni has featured in every match for Verona this season with his club closing its campaign with a clash against Parma away on Sunday before hosting UEFA Champions League finalist, Serie A and Coppa Italia champion Juventus at home next weekend.

Adelaide would also have to drop the marquee status for Marcelo Carrusca and put the Argentine in the salary cap for Toni.

Luca Toni song