Maltese champions want to sign Bolt
Reigning Maltese top-flight champions Valletta FC are behind the power play to prematurely end Usain Bolt’s bid for an A-League contract.
Valletta FC have put forward a two-year offer for the Jamaican sprint king to ‘‘spearhead their charge to the Champions League’’ with an eye toward his potential debut in mid-December, ESPN reports.
‘‘A champion is always welcome and at Valletta FC we believe nothing is impossible,’’ the club’s managing director and CEO Ghasston Slimen said.
Bolt’s brace for the Central Coast Mariners in Friday night’s trial match against Macarthur South West United is the likely catalyst for the Maltese side’s interest.
It has seemingly put the Mariners on the clock to give him a full-time professional contract despite January being flagged as the probable deadline for a final decision.
The Mariners want the FFA to contribute to Bolt’s multimillion-dollar contract but it is believed he doesn’t meet the criteria as a marquee player.
Instead, A-League officials insist they could assist the Mariners by way of a marketing arrangement as well as enabling third-party sponsorships.
The eight-time Olympic sprint champion also has several personal sponsorships that could count against him.
W-League star Sam Kerr and team-mate Tommy Oar thrust their support behind Bolt on Friday, saying he deserved a marquee deal due to his obvious star power.
His potential southern European suitor wasn’t the only one to take notice of his impressive second-half strikes, which have attracted more than six million views on Central Coast’s Twitter account.
Bolt has previously trained with German giants Borussia Dortmund and trialled with Norwegian side Stromsgodset.