Pelita team manager Lalu Mara confirmed to au.fourfourtwo.com that discussions have taken place with Van Dijk, the former Brisbane Roar and current Adelaide United striker, who has scored over 40 times in the A-League since arriving in 2008.

But uncertainty over the kick-off date for the next ISL season is hampering the club’s ability to lock-down players contracts, said Mara.

“We have had discussions,” he confirmed when quizzed about the 28 year-old striker of Indo-Dutch heritage.

“I hope so [we sign him] but right now we don’t know. It’s frustrating not knowing exactly when the league will kick-off.”

The ISL is Indonesia’s FIFA sanctioned national league. However earlier this year a rebel IPL (Indonesian Premier League) began, backed by big-money. 

The IPL runs till the end of the year but there is speculation Indonesia could return to a single, unified top league in the future. 

Pelita Jaya, backed by wealthy owners the Bakrie family, are also in discussions with Anthony Crea, Guus Hiddink’s former Socceroo strength and conditioning coach from World Cup 2006. The club hope to have the Australian in place for pre-season which starts on August 4 in Jakarta.

However one key signing that has been confirmed is that of Pelita’s Aussie coach Misha Radovic, who has been given a contract extension for another year after helping the club avoid relegation last season.

Radovic, a former Red Star player who lived in Australia for 20 years, arrived in Indonesia November last year following the exit of Pelita’s Singaporean coach Fandi Ahmad.

Radovic cleared out the club’s foreign contingent during the mid-season break and injected A-League loan players Troy Hearfield – a recent match winner against Celtic for the Mariners – and Chris Doig.

Radovic also signed top Malaysian striker Mohd Safee bin Mohd Sali. The team, dubbed “Young Guns”, avoided relegation by season’s end in June, which was deemed a success after a poor start to the campaign.

“Misha has been a success,” said Mara of the UEFA ‘A’ licenced coach.  “He got three players into the national U23s and one into the national team. And we weren’t relegated.

“We were happy to extend his contract from November till the end of the season.”