Daniel Bogdanovic's quest to pursue his career abroad continues. Brann Bergen are the latest club to show an interest in the Malta striker who yesterday began a short trial with the Norwegian top-flight side.
The 27-year-old forward jetted out to Norway on Sunday. Sources have told The Times that, on arriving in Norway, Bogdanovic was driven to Stavanger where he watched Brann's league game against Viking.
After the match, which Brann lost 3-1, Bogdanovic joined the first-team squad on their journey back to Bergen. Brann are currently second in the Norwegian championship with 23 points from 12 matches, two points adrift of leaders Stabaek.
Bogdanovic has made no secret of his desire to link up with a foreign club after playing a decisive role in Marsaxlokk's title success last season.
Finishing top of the Premier League scoring charts with 31 goals in 28 matches, Bogdanovic enjoyed a terrific 2006-2007 season, in the process securing a recall to the Malta national squad.
Since the end of last season, Bogdanovic has reportedly attracted interest from clubs in Cyprus, Azerbaijan and Ireland but it is believed that the Malta striker resisted their overtures as he is confident of landing a move to a country where the standard of football is higher.
His decision to accept Brann's invitation for a trial indicates a willingness on Bogdanovic's part to play in Norway, a country where his fellow Malta striker Michael Mifsud made a name for himself during a two-and-a-half-year stint with Lillestrom. Mifsud is now playing for English club Coventry after he turned down Lillestrom's offer of a new contract last December.
Brann are looking to bolster their forward line. Scottish striker Robbie Winters is expected to leave Brann at the end of this season while Bengt Saeternes is widely tipped to renew his contract which expires at the end of this year. The team's chief striker is Thorstein Helstad who was on target in Norway's 4-0 defeat of Malta in a Euro 2008 Group C qualifier earlier this month. Bogdanovic made a brief appearance as a second-half substitute against Norway.
Over the past few weeks, Brann had three other strikers on trial, namely David Winters (Scotland), Sebino Plaku (Albania) and Kjartan Finnbogason (Iceland) but none of them was offered a contract.
Bogdanovic, winner of The Times Best Player Award for last season, is now striving to succeed where other trialists failed by persuading Brann to give him a permanent deal. The gifted striker will be able to join Brann on a free transfer as his contract with Marsaxlokk finished at the end of last season.
Sliema Wanderers are favourites to re-sign Bogdanovic if his efforts to earn a move overseas were to prove futile.
Justin Haber is another member of the Malta national squad with high hopes of signing for a foreign club. Haber, frozen out by Marsaxlokk coach Brian Talbot in the final months of last season, was due to travel to Greece last night for talks with a club in Athens.
Agius to sign City deal
Sources have told The Times that Numancia, a second division club in Spain, had invited Haber for a trial next month but the 26-year-old goalkeeper has elected to take up the Greek option where Kerkira, a second division team, are reportedly prepared to offer him a contract.
On the local front, Gilbert Agius has held fresh discussions with high-ranking Valletta officials over the four-year contract he had agreed with the previous club committee a few months ago.
Agius, a clear favourite to win the MFA Player of the Year Award for the third time in his career, is expected to sign his new deal today.
Bulgarian forward Martin Deanov is expected to have a trial with a Cypriot club next week. Deanov was one of three Bulgarian players who helped Pietà Hotspurs avoid relegation last season. Rumen Galabov has another year remaining on his contract with the Hotspurs while Svetlan Kondev is expected to agree a new deal with the Blues.