The former Sydney FC marquee has made no secret of his desire to return to Australia but the Mariners’ executive chairman today confirmed that the player won’t be heading for Gosford.

Finance and length of contract are thought to be factors but Lyall Gorman insists the discussions regarding Yorke never really advanced beyond the tentative stage anyway.

Gorman told au.fourfourtwo.com: “We are not going there with regards to that. As I said at the time, reports that it was all but a done deal were way off the mark. There were no detailed discussions.

“Dwight Yorke is a fine footballer but we are looking at a particular direction at this club, player-wise and financially. It’s beyond our scope.”

Yorke’s hopes of an east coast base look in tatters now.

It is clear there is no room for him at Sydney FC, the Mariners will not be taking him and the Gold Coast Galaxy’s failure to gain A-League admission has closed another door in his face. It's also unlikely Newcastle Jets would be willing to splash out on him.

Yorke is thought to want a two or three year deal at a new club with the chance to get his foot on the first rung of the coaching ladder.

Having lost John Aloisi to Sydney FC, an out and out goalscorer is thought to be top of the priority list for the Mariners with the club continuing to track a number of targets.

One thing Gorman has made abundantly clear is that the Mariners will not be rushed into adding bodies to the squad.

He said: “We have a very astute coaching staff here and we will do what we feel is best for the club. The Dwight Yorke situation was part of our studying the market, getting a feel for the market and exploring what is out there.”

As for players already at the club Gorman said the club was awaiting the latest medical reports on Nik Mrdja before resolving his future.