The 19-year-old spent last season on loan at the Victory but struggled to earn a regular starting slot under Ernie Merrick.

Patafta has numerous admirers in the A-League though but Jets boss Gary van Egmond was maintaining a diplomatic silence when quizzed on the possibility of a move. A clear case of ‘you might think that, I couldn’t possibly comment’.

The Jets supremo said it wasn’t a subject he wished to discuss but didn’t quash the speculation flat either. The cat is already out of the bag though with the club’s chief executive having since admitted that a one-year-deal has been put to the youngster.

Patafta would certainly fit the bill in terms of providing Newcastle with an extra attacking weapon as the club looks for players to lesson the burden on Joel Griffiths.

Van Egmond was happier to talk about other potential targets, one with a Melbourne connection, and told au.fourfourtwo.com: “Antun Kovacic is someone we’d like to take a closer look at and we’ve sent a letter off to his club.”

The central defender had a very brief stint with Melbourne Victory in season one of the A-League and is now plying his trade in the Victorian Premier League. He also had a stint with the Melbourne Knights.

Several other triallists are expected at the club during the coming weeks but it is still far from clear whether Socceroo defender Ljubo Milicevic will be putting pen to paper at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

Van Egmond said: “Yes, we have made it clear we’d like Ljubo to join us here as we believe he’d be terrific addition with a lot to offer.

“We’re not sure what he intends to do at this stage. It’s obviously a decision that he has to think about and he wants to decide what’s right for him. You don’t want to look back with regrets.”

Not that the Jets will wait forever for a decision. Van Egmond said: “We can’t be in a position where we hang our hat on just one person.”

Van Egmond has already been offered and rejected the chance to talk to former Adelaide United duo Milan Susak and Bobby Petta.