PHOENIX CALLING: Former Perth Glory defender Brent Griffiths is shaping as a probable addition to the Wellington Phoenix squad.

Former Perth Glory defender Brent Griffiths is shaping as a probable addition to the Wellington Phoenix squad, while the club has contracts dangling in front of three well-credentialled European strikers.

The affairs of Terry Serepisos have dominated the headlines lately as the cash-strapped Phoenix owner scrambles desperately to retain control of the A-League club.

But for the players the pre-season rumbles on, and the Phoenix will have their last serious hitout against the Central Coast Mariners in Tauranga on Sunday.

Griffiths, 21, was released by Perth at the end of last season and was fined for drink driving after crashing his car last month.

The centre back unsuccessfully trialled with Central Coast but will get a chance to impress Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert, who still has three squad spots to fill, in Tauranga.

"I think he's a decent shot to sign unless there was something, you know, majorly sort of wrong," Herbert said.

If Griffiths signs he will provide much needed cover for first-choice centre backs Andrew Durante and Ben Sigmund.

The Phoenix also want to sign a quality striker to complement Paul Ifill, Chris Greenacre and Mirjan Pavlovic and Herbert said contracts had been offered to three "decent" Europeans.

"One has got an extremely good pedigree, he's played in the Premier League. One's played in the Champions League and one's played a long period of time in a decent European competition."

Asked what style of striker he was pursuing, Herbert said he was after pace, rather than size.

"Someone who can get in behind defenders, cause problems, so we can be a little bit more mobile at the front than what we've been. I'm not saying he's going to be a midget, but just slightly different characteristics."

Phoenix players have admitted the Serepisos saga had been unsettling but Herbert, who has not denied he is owed more $100,000, maintained the squad was tight and focused.

"I've always said to the players, `you know what, on October the ninth, Wellington Phoenix will be playing Gold Coast'. It's not for me to speculate what's going to happen because I don't know what's going to happen. But at the moment we've got contracts out for players, the players are training. And if there was a problem we wouldn't be here, surely."

The Phoenix are required to have 20 contracted players by season kickoff and Herbert said it would be "great" if the club could "get everybody locked away by, I don't know, the third or fourth of October".