One of the world’s most renowned strikers of recent years, Didier Drogba, is the latest star name to be linked to South Melbourne FC in its bold bid to become part of the new expanded A-League beginning in 2018.

The 38-year-old former Chelsea champion has been a free agent after recently completing a successful season playing for MLS club Montreal Impact, where he scored 21 goals in 33 matches.

However, with the player entering the twilight of his professional playing career, it seems that time isn’t on South’s side in its bid to convince Drogba to sign for the Lakesiders. With the expanded A-League competition still at least a season and a half away, and the FFA still to determine which two of the expected 12 bidding clubs will receive an A-League licence, the player was not prepared to wait, according to South Melbourne FC Advisory Board chairman Bill Papastergiadis.

According to Papastergiadis, “we were pretty close … terms were agreed, but where we had difficulty was keeping him interested during the period in which we could not play in the A-League, assuming we are successful in our bid,” he told The World Game.

“The bid process is unclear because FFA have not released the criteria for entry … originally that was going to be in February but I don’t know when that is going to happen for sure.
“But if we were to get in, we couldn’t play until the season after next. Drogba basically said, ‘I like it but what I am going to do in the interim for a year?’.
“We had everything in place, other than that.
“It’s a pity that we couldn’t bring him here to join us, but he is too much in demand to sit idly by for a period of time,” Papastergiadis said.

“Drogba’s still at an age where he can compete – and he would have been great at A-League level. And we are still very much in market for a marquee of that kind of stature.
“We remain committed to bringing in somebody with a serious world reputation.”

It’s believed instead that the Ivory Coast-born striker is now considering a lucrative move to Brazilian club Corinthians.

Drogba played 254 games for Chelsea, scoring 104 goals and winning four EPL titles with the club as well as a Champions League Winners’ medal.

He also represented the Ivory Coast 104 times, scoring 65 goals, and in the process becoming a statesman and Ambassador for Peace during that country’s bloody civil war in the previous decade. Impressively he helped to arrange a ceasefire and has set up the Didier Drogba Foundation to help raise funds for education and health services in the country of his birth.

The news of South’s bid to sign Drogba follows recent reports of its bid to interest Real Madrid legends Roberto Carlos and Chendo in coaching positions at South should it successfully bid for an A-League licence.