Club legend Brown, 33, has been linked with a marquee move to the A-League if Western Melbourne's bid to be one of the FFA's new expansion clubs is successful.

Although widely dismissed as ambitious speculation and a publicity stunt, the figurehead behind the Western Melbourne bid is super agent Lou Sticca who brought Alessandro Del Piero to Sydney FC.

And it has further been fuelled by Brown's disrupted start to Celtic's season which has been plagued by some disappointing results and injury to the ageing talisman captain, whose contract expires at the end of this season.

He is now likely out of action for a month after limping off in the first half in Celtic's last game against Hibs.

A long feature in the Scottish Daily Record yesterday even suggested that Celtic may now play better WITHOUT Brown in the side, adding fuel to the fire that he may make the move to Australia.

The newspaper claims Celtic have allowed their skipper time to consider the offer and his future rather than forcing him to stay or go, and believe it is an indication he could be on his way to Oz.

Brendan Rodgers added:  “I’m not surprised if there are people in for Scott. He is getting towards that cycle in life now where he may want to look at other things.

“I won’t be surprised if there are a few interested in him coming into his last year. Scott loves being here, but sometimes towards the end of a career, players can get offered a financial reward for two or three years or whatever that they may not get again in their life.

“Life is about experience and, if you can do that and experience something else, it can make you more open. And if your children can experience it as well, great."

But in the early hours of this morning, former Socceroo McDonald took to Twitter to berate the journalist who wrote the story about his old team-mate and insisted: "He ain't going nowhere."

McDonald said he believed Brown would only leave if he was told he wasn't needed at Celtic any more – and McDonald insisted Brown was vital for Celtic and would be there to take the Bhoys to ten titles in row.

However the tweet – which was posted at 3am Sydney-time – was later deleted.

Coincidentally, Lou Sticca was also McDonald's agent while he was at Celtic.

McDonald later backtracked in another tweet 90 minutes later and added: "It is [a] genuine offer.

"They [Western Melbourne] want him if they get in, but I just don’t agree and believe he stays. Again, my opinion!

"Celtic deserve to allow him to mull over it as what a servant he has been. But he may want fresh [challenges]."