Muscat says no to Schwarzer, refuses to deny Holman interest

Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat said the A-League club will not be signing former Leicester City goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, though he was coy regarding reporting interest in Brett Holman.

Ex-Australia international Schwarzer is a free agent since his contract with Premier League champions Leicester City expired, and the 43-year-old has been linked with a move to the A-League.

However, Schwarzer moving to Melbourne is not on the horizon following the departure of shot-stopper Danny Vukovic to Sydney FC due to personal reasons on Tuesday.

“No,” Muscat said on Melbourne radio station SEN when asked about the prospect of Schwarzer playing for Victory as the three-time Australian champions prepare to face Juventus in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.

“Lawrence [Thomas] has done exceptionally well over the past two seasons, coming in at the back end of those campaigns.

“Unfortunately for Danny, we’ve agreed to release him to get back to his family. He went through a painful year off the field last season. We wish his family and particular his little boy well over the next six to 12 months.”

One former Australia international who could make his way to AAMI Park is Holman.

Holman, 32, is interested in a move to the A-League, having spent 14 years abroad in the Netherlands, England and most recently the United Arab Emirates.

“There are a number of things we have identified at the moment and we are filtering through them. There are some exciting prospects,” Muscat added after Holman’s name was mentioned.

“It’s not as easy as throwing out names, there are a number of things. The number one thing is the salary cap and we have to work within that.

“Rest assured we are working hard. We are comfortable with our squad currently. Naturally we want to add a couple of players but we are not going to be rushed into anything. But at the same time, we are working diligently behind the scenes to bring in the people that can complement our team.”