ISL: Sydney FC star Adam Le Fondre in advanced talks with Hyderabad FC

Sydney FC star Adam Le Fondre is willing to make a move to the Indian Super League (ISL) ahead of next season and is in advanced talks with Hyderabad FC, The Bridge understands.

The English forward’s current contract with Sydney FC was supposed to run out in 2021. However, the A-League went into turmoil with the Covid-19 outbreak. The league got suspended with 6 games still left, the clubs also suffered heavy financial losses. As per reports, 7 of the 11 clubs in the A-League, who are less financially robust, stood down their players and staff with no further payment.

For Sydney FC, the defending champions and this season’s league leaders, the situation is no different. The club’s chief executive Danny Townsend had admitted that there could be an issue with retaining players. "It was a bit of a badge of honour for the club to have such stability going into next season but now it could become a problem for us,” he told ESPN.

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Now it seems that Le Fondre could be headed to the ISL. Sources have informed that the 33-year-old forward — who showcased devastating form in the A-League, netting a whopping 35 goals in 49 games in just two seasons — has been in talks with at least five ISL clubs. It is understood that he is close to finalising a deal with Albert Roca’s Hyderabad.

Last season did not go as desired for Hyderabad FC, they finished last in the league with the worst defensive record. But with Roca calling the shots this time, big things are expected from them. The club has retained a few players like Adil Khan, Liston Colaco and Souvik Chakrabarti and has also signed a few others like Subrata Paul and Rohit Danu.

"We have to assess our weaknesses and try to fix them by bringing in the appropriate players,” Roca told Goal.com in an interview recently. “We need players who have a sense of the game and care for the ball. They need to understand the philosophy which we want to bring in to the club. ”

Sydney’s Le Fondre, if anything, fits the bill perfectly. The former Wolverhampton Wolves striker is known for his winning mentality and free-scoring attitude, he is a great finisher and teamman. Along with that, he has a vast experience of playing in England having featured in the Championship as well as the Premier League.

Also read: ISL 2020-21: A-League stars likely to come to India this transfer window