SWISS and Belgian clubs have targeted the services of boom Brisbane Roar midfielder Mitch Nichols.

Sources close to the Roar star, this week selected in the Socceroos squad for this month's 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Oman and Thailand, have told The Courier-Mail that Europe is beckoning for 22-year-old Gold Coast product, potentially as early as the January transfer window.

But if Nichols does move, it would be more likely to be in July next year ahead of the 2012-13 season, with the Roar in line to land a tidy transfer fee.

WANT MORE SPORT? GET YOUR COURIER-MAIL PRINT EDITION

Brisbane coach Ange Postecoglou conceded a move to Europe was inevitable for Nichols, but urged his star pupil to take his time in making the decision.

"We want to see Mitch keep improving and hopefully get an opportunity to go overseas, but I don't think there's any rush with that," the A-League coach of the year said.

"Like every other young player who has been in a similar position, Mitch has got to make the right decision, because if you don't all the good work you've done will be for nothing.

"It's not a matter of just timing, it's a matter of where he goes and which club he goes to.

"At the end of the season I'm sure there'll be inquiries about him.

"I think his next path of progression is to complete a full season with us and continue on in his current form."

Former Roar captain Craig Moore, who recently told The Courier-Mail that Nichols was good enough to go overseas before this season, said his ex-teammate's decision to stay in the A-League for at least another year was potentially the making of him.

"The great thing about Mitch Nichols at the moment is his willingness and attitude," the retired Socceroos stalwart said.

"They're spot on and he's now not just the super-sub type of player. He's having an impact for Brisbane Roar week in, week out for 90 minutes.

"He's obviously impressing people because Holger Osieck has now involved him in the Socceroos squad."

Moore said Nichols had always been an "intelligent" player and now also had the confidence to back himself.

"At times going back a couple of years, Mitch was his own worst enemy because he was such a harsh critic on his own performances," he said.

"A bad pass became a bad five minutes because he was still beating himself up about the bad pass he made.

"Now Mitch doesn't have those spells where he's beating himself up. That's part of his maturity as a player."

Originally published as Clubs swoop on Roar midfielder