The New Zealanders enjoyed a brief taste of the Brazilian's services in a guest stint last season but he managed only a handful of games before his stint was cut short by a family bereavement.

Currently on the books of MLS outfit DC United, Fred is believed to have enjoyed his initial spell in New Zealand and every effort is being made to lure him back.

"Fred's season over there has finished and I've started initial conversations with his agent," Phoenix CEO Tony Pignata told au.fourfourtwo.com today.

"We would love to have him back here to play. Ideally we would love to have him in that marquee role and get him on a longer, maybe two-year deal."

The attacking midfielder was the driving force behind Melbourne Victory's championship-winning side in 2006/7, playing 20 matches and scoring four goals. He had a hand in five of Victory's six goals in their grand final thrashing of Adelaide United.

Last year FourFourTwo readers voted Fred (full name Helbert  Frederico da Silva) as one of the A-League's top three imports .

Pignata added: "Fred made a big impact in the A-League, firstly at Melbourne Victory, and I'm sure that the competition as a whole would be happy to see him back."