Author: Tom Smithies
From: Herald Sun
Date: October 1st 2008

MELBOURNE Heart, the group set to establish a second A-League team in the city, will try to lure Mark Viduka as its marquee player.
The group behind the Melbourne Heart bid believes a marquee signing is imperative and Viduka, who played for Melbourne Knights and is now with Newcastle United in the English Premier League, is its No. 1 target.
Backed by wealthy businessman Peter Sidwell, the group last week won exclusive rights to negotiate with Football Federation Australia to establish a second team in Melbourne in 2010.

Sources have confirmed the group intends to pursue Viduka.
It's believed the group will try to negotiate with the Socceroos striker when he returns to Melbourne next week for treatment on an achilles injury.
Viduka has told national coach Pim Verbeek he wants to continue playing for Australia through to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Viduka would be 34 when the new club starts in the A-League. His annual salary at Newcastle is more than $7 million. But a few months ago, Viduka's management confirmed he planned to play out his career in Australia.
Sidwell could not be contacted last night.

Sources in Europe yesterday suggested the group could also approach former Socceroo midfielder Josip Skoko, Viduka's closest friend in the game and a fellow Victorian.
Skoko's contract with Croatian club Hajduk Split expires in 2010.
Viduka's Newcastle contract runs until the end of this season.
But there is speculation he will be part of a fire sale at the troubled club when the transfer window opens in January.
The achilles injury that has dogged him for months shows no sign of abating and he has not played this season.

The Magpies opted not to send him for an operation in the hope rest would cure it.
Acting Newcastle manager Chris Hughton said there was no target for his return.
"At the moment, he's in his rehab and there isn't a timescale," Hughton said.
"With Mark, we're aware he has an achilles problem and what we are looking to do is step up his training and hopefully have no adverse affect from that. That being the case, hopefully the progress will be a little bit quicker.

"From a coach's point of view, Mark Viduka's a player we'd like to have out on the pitch, because he's a very good player.
"Equally, it's frustrating for him. He's a lad that wants to play, wants to be part of things and wants to help.
"That's what players go through when they go through injuries.
"It's part and parcel of the game, and they have to learn to live with it."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/second-team-to-chase-viduka/story-0-1111117629798