A-League clubs want to attract more international youth players to Australia’s domestic soccer competition by working to make ties between local clubs and European clubs more formal.

Sources at Football Federation Australia and within the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association - whose members comprise the 10 A-League clubs – said A-League and club representatives planned to travel to Europe to convince teams to send youth players struggling to play consistent senior soccer to Australia for first-team experience.

Such pitches would happen once the A-League had been fully spun out from FFA's control. Negotiations on that process remain ongoing and the separation will ideally be done in time for the next financial year, sources with knowledge of the process said.

A-League clubs will target leagues outside of Europe's biggest competitions as part of the plan with the Netherlands, France, Scotland, Belgium and Scandinavian countries likely hunting grounds.