MELBOURNE City is on the verge of signing decorated Slovenian midfielder Robert Koren as its international marquee.

The Herald Sun can reveal Koren has been in talks with Melbourne City management, currently in Manchester as a part of its 18-day pre-season tour.

If it comes to fruition the signing would be a statement of intent from the A-League club and its new owners, the City Group.

David Villa - set to play a number of games in Melbourne from October to December before moving to brother club New York City - is the big name signing, but Koren, 33, will be the player to build a team around for the entire season.

It’s the same line of thinking that saw Orlando Engelaar come to then Melbourne Heart last year as its international marquee.

Koren has played 61 games for Slovenia and scored against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup.

He has played in England since 2007 with both West Bromwich Albion and Hull City, clubs that enjoyed stints in the English Premier League.

Managing director of City football services Brian Marwood would not confirm Koren’s signing, but did say the club was looking for a particular kind of player.

“Clearly we’ve spoken to a number of a people and we’re not going to deny that we’ve spoken with Robbie,” Marwood told the Herald Sun.

“What I can’t do right now is confirm anything because there’s nothing signed.

“But I think it’s important that we have the right kind of characteristics both on and off the field (in a marquee player). We don’t want players coming to the club and thinking it’s a final pay day or it’s a few months in the sun in a beautiful city, that’s not what this club is about.

“I think we have a really good group of players and staff ... so we don’t want to disrupt that. We want people that are matched with the same kind of ambition that we’re trying to create.

“So I think that it’s important that the person is as good as the player.”

Follow Melbourne City’s tour of Manchester in Matt Windley’s blog below.

Melbourne City in Manchester