The off-contract Barbarouses - flourishing in his second spell with Victory - is also eyeing Asia as a lucrative possible option.

The 29-year-old attacker is Victory’s top scorer this season, his 13 goals in 23 appearances put him two ahead of Swedish international Ola Toivonen, who has netted 11 in 16 games.

Barbarouses also has three assists, and Victory coach Kevin Muscat has pledged to offer the All Whites international an ungraded deal to stay at AAMI Park.

However, Wanderers boss Markus Babbel - whose two most recent captures Kwame Yeboah and Mitchell Duke have invigorated the club’s season - is determined to unveil Barbarouses next season at the club’s newly rebuilt Bankwest Stadium.

How deep the club’s pockets are is the main sticking point in the quest for the flying frontman, with Babbel recently admitting Wanderers had pulled out of the hunt for another off-contract Victory talisman, James Troisi, because he was “too expensive”.

Closing in on his thirties, Barbarouses’ next deal is a key one for his long-term financial future, and he is keen to maximize his value after previous A-League stints at Wellington (twice), Brisbane Roar and Victory, for whom he’s scored 23 goals in 72 A-League games.

But it’s his ability to unlock defenses with pace and virtuosity which sets him apart from many of his A-League peers, and has Babbel with his check book open.