Daniel Bogdanovic has all but ruled out a move to SK Brann after he turned down the Norwegian club's offer to undergo a second trial later this month.
The 27-year-old Bogdanovic returned to Malta yesterday after spending the previous five days training with SK Brann's first-team squad in the hope of securing a permanent deal.
Informed sources in Norway told The Sunday Times that Bogdanovic had a meeting with Roald Bruun-Hanssen, SK Brann's director of sports, after his final training session on Friday.
Bogdanovic was told that he would not be offered a contract for the time being as SK Brann's coaches requested more time to assess the player, thus prompting the club to offer him a second trial in the coming weeks.
Brunn-Hanssen described Bog-danovic as the best trialist Brann have had in the last six weeks after Scottish striker David Winters, Sebino Plaku, from Albania, and Iceland's Kjartan Finnbogason failed to live up to expectations during their training stints.
Contacted yesterday evening, Bogdanovic confirmed that SK Brann, who play in Norway's top division, have invited him for another trial but he has rejected their offer.
"I had four training sessions with SK Brann and played two friendly matches. I had a very positive feeling about my contribution during my training spell with SK Brann," Bogdanovic said.
"At a meeting on Friday, the club's sporting director told me that I left a very good impression during my trial but he proposed another four-day training period between July 11 and 15.
"To be honest, I found it hard to understand their position. My answer was that I was not prepared to do another trial as I have concrete offers from other clubs."
A move to a foreign club is top of Bogdanovic's priorities after he helped Marsaxlokk to their maiden Premier League title last season.
Bogdanovic, the 2006-2007 Premier League top marksman with 31 goals and The Times/Sunday Times player of the year, had shores spells with Bulgaria's ChernoMore Varna and Hungary's SC Vasas in the early years of his career.
His motivation to seek pastures new outside the Maltese shores has been strengthened by a trial he had with English club Watford earlier this year.
Locally, Sliema Wanderers are willing to re-sign Bogdanovic for a fourth time but the striker is intent on exploring all avenues that could lead him to a foreign club before making a decision on his future.
A few weeks ago, Bogdanovic was reported to be attracting interest from Irish club Drogheda United while a couple of non-Premier League English clubs also made enquiries about the Malta international.