JOSH Kennedy and Mark Bresciano have been identified as Melbourne Heart’s Australian marquee targets as the 2014-15 recruiting drive begins in earnest.

The new owners — The City Group — want to make two statement signings, pledging to fill both the international and Australian marquee positions after a poor campaign which saw them finish bottom.

They also plan to sign a guest player which, as revealed by the Herald Sun, could be New York City FC’s maiden marquee signing.

Heart officials will hold talks with the pair in the coming weeks when they join the Socceroos squad for the pre-World Cup camp in Sydney and are ready to make Kennedy or Bresciano the club’s highest paid player.

media_camera Josh Kennedy scores for Australia in the World Cup qualifier against Iraq at Stadium Australia.

However they’re likely to be gazumped by the foreign marquee, with the new owners ready to spend well in excess of $1m to snag a quality attacker, eclipsing the $750,000 paid to Orlando Engelaar.

Kennedy, 31, looms as the most likely option with his Nagoya Grampus contract expiring at the end of the season — however the J. League season doesn’t conclude until December.

But the striker’s wife and former Australian Opal Jacinta Kennedy (nee Hamilton) returned to Melbourne with their three children in December before signing with WNBL outfit Dandenong Rangers after seven years abroad.

Bresciano, 34, trained with Heart in the summer during his controversial ban but he is contracted to Qatari club Al-Gharafa beyond this season on a lucrative contract.

media_camera Aaron Mooy will join Heart from the Wanderers on a $300,000 annual contract next season.

Rival A-League clubs could make a play for Kennedy, including Sydney FC, but both he and Bresciano plan to live in Melbourne once they retire.

Last season’s Aussie marquee David Williams will be included inside the salary cap next season, so too Aaron Mooy who accepted a $300,000-a-year offer from Heart to sign from Western Sydney.

Engelaar, who won the goal of the year, has been offered a new deal which would also keep him inside the cap, although he’s likely to return to Holland to continue his career.

Coach John van’t Schip and football manager John Didulica are holding talks with Manchester City’s football officials Txiki Begiristain and Brain Marwood in the UK.

MELBOURNE HEART REPORT CARD

THE SEASON

6 wins, 8 draws, 13 losses

36 goals scored, 42 conceded

Finished 10th

DAVID DAVUTOVIC’S TOP 5

1 David Williams

2 Orlando Engelaar

3 Massimo Murdocca

4 Mate Dugandzic

5 Aziz Behich

MOST IMPROVED

Jason Hoffman

THE FLOP

Michael Mifsud

COMING

Aaron Mooy (Wanderers)

GOING

Orlando Engelaar

Patrick Gerhardt

GONE

Harry Kewell (retired)

Michael Mifsud (released)

WHAT IT NEEDS

Two marquee players will help and it can build from there, but a sharpshooting striker and creative attacking midfielder are necessities if Heart wants to play finals.

SEASON LEADERS

Best-and-fairest: David Williams

Top scorer: David Williams 12

Assists: Mate Dugandzic 8

Intercepts: Patrick Kisnorbo 123

Tackles: Massimo Murdocca 90

DAVUTOVIC’S VERDICT

A massively disappointing season. Heart should not have finished bottom with this squad. John Aloisi was sacked after going the first 12 games without a win, and while John van‘t Schip steadied the ship, Heart fell away late.

F

Originally published as Bresciano, Kennedy in Heart’s sights