FTBL understands chairman and co-owner Paul Lederer, in consultation with advisor and recruitment chief Eddy Bosnar, have already batted away the likes of Patrick Kisnorbo, Perth Glory’s Alen Stajcic and ex-Hibernian and Central Coast boss Nick Montgomery to focus on foreign targets. 

Preliminary discussions have already been held with 60-year-old American-Iranian Afshin Ghotbi, whose long list of career credits includes working under Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat with South Korea, as well as being in charge of the Iran national team.

Currently at the helm of Canadian outfit Vancouver FC, Ghotbi led J.League outfit Shimizu S-Pulse back in 2011 when Bosnar was on the books there, with the pair forging a strong and lasting bond.

Ghotbi, whose achievements include steering Chinese Super League side Shijiazhuang Ever Bright to promotion and Iranian side Persepolis to the Pro League title, also qualified Iran for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

It’s unclear whether he remains a frontline contender for the task of reviving one of the A-League’s most passionately supported but dysfunctional clubs, with Lederer taking his time on identifying the best suited candidate to replace Rudan, whose torrid and tempestuous two-year tenure came to an abrupt end last month, with two years still to run on a freshly inked contract extension.

Stajcic, meanwhile, is unwanted at wooden spooners Perth Glory, who have identified Sydney FC assistant David Zdrilic as a ready-made replacement.

However, the former still has two years to run on his contract and new Glory owner Ross Pelligra, who acquired the club for a pittance with the promise of investing millions, has yet to decide whether he’s prepared to pay out Stajcic's deal to usher in Zdrilic.

Glory have made no secret of their desire to move Stajcic on and are looking to have some clarity around the coaching position by early July at the latest.