Ian Crook admits his mobile phone bill is taking a hammering as he bids to find the club's next marquee performer.

Dwight Yorke won't be coming but there are other irons in the fire as Crook bids to persuade targets that Australia, the A-League and then the Asian Champions League are desirable places to be.

He told au.fourfourtwo.com today: "Gary (van Egmond) is keen to get someone in as soon as we can but we're of the view that it's better to wait and get the right one than rush in and find ourselves with the wrong one.

"We're talking to people and in a couple of cases I'd say we're 60 or 70 per cent down the line. By that I mean we've got past the initial thing of money and it's more the fine-tuning."

Money is a potential obstacle with players crunching the numbers to see what they will earn in Aussie dollars compared to their current situation.

Crook said: "Australia is a long way away for some but if they can make that big step then I think you tend to find there aren't too many who look back on it as a bad place to be.

"You're selling them the football but also a lifestyle."

Having missed out on Yorke, a Ghanaian player was thought to be on the club's radar but another option is to switch Mark Milligan into the marquee slot for the remainder of the season.

Joel Griffiths will take up the marquee role from the start of next season's A-League.