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20/07/2012 3:33:00 PM

Bite-sized new for you to chew over - FFA and A-League clubs continue negotiations over wishlist, Besiktas' interest in Behich continues and much more

Negotiations between Football Federation Australia and A-League clubs over several money-related issues will continue on Monday.  A wishlist compiled by clubs in May included a share in revenue from finals games, more financial assistance for club's National Youth League teams and a reduction in the FFA's cut of player transfer fees, according to The Courier Mail.  Any resolution may depend on the success of the FFA in negotiating a new TV deal, but the body's chief executive Ben Buckley said the club's concerns were being taken into account.  "Yes, we've given careful consideration to the proposals put forward by the clubs, and we're very aware of a need to increase central funding," he said. "We're working hard to that end within our capacity to afford it and will be outlining some proposals on Monday."

There is more movement in the pursuit of Melbourne Heart left-back Aziz Behich by Turkish giants Besiktas.  The World Game claims Behich - of Turkish origin - has been offered a trial by the Super Lig outfit, with the defender's agent Dragan Jetvic telling the website his client was "not sure" traveling to Turkey without a concrete offer.  Turkish Football also carried the news of the trial offer, with Besiktas chairman Fikret Orman sounding rather more hopeful of an agreement.  "We are currently involved with Aziz Behic, he is a young player and one we have been scouting closely," he said.  "It's likely that Behich will join the team for pre-season training on trial."

Melbourne Heart, meanwhile, do not seem fazed by the prospect of losing yet another young prospect before the coming campaign.  Eli Babalj [Red Star Belgrade] and Brendan Hamill [Seongnam Ilhwa] have both departed the club in big-money deals since the 2011-12 season finished, with Behich and Curtis Good - strongly linked with English Premier League club Newcastle United - potentially following them out the door.  But Heart football operations manager John Didulica backed the squad at coach John Aloisi's disposal, and said the club would stick by its policy of developing youth.  "We pride ourselves on player preparation, the way we train our boys," Didulica told The Herald Sun.  "And it's working, because not only are these guys doing well in the A-League - we made the finals comfortably last year - we're taking guys from nowhere to, within two years, having the best clubs in Europe and Asia wanting them.  So I think we're doing a lot right in that regard. The price you pay, if you can call it a price, is that you lose them to larger clubs globally, but we back ourselves in to find the next batch and do the same thing again."

Newcastle Jets left-back Craig Goodwin has no concerns the Newcastle Jets cannot challenge for the 2012-13 A-League title despite a heavy reliance on youth.  Goodwin is one of nine new signings at the Jets under coach Gary van Egmond ahead of the new campaign, with seven being under the age of 24.  Out have gone experienced players such as Jeremy Brockie, Byun Sung-Hwan and Nik Topor-Stanley, but Goodwin - scorer of a hat-trick in Wednesday's 6-0 friendly thumping of a Northern New South Wales XI - believes it will not pose a problem for the Jets.  "I've always been a big believer that if you're good enough, you're old enough," Goodwin told The Newcastle Herald.  "I think with the players we have, they might be young, but we are definitely quality players, and I think this season we can show Newcastle and the A-League that just because you have a young team doesn't mean you're not going to do so well.  I think we'll be looking to show every supporter in Australia that we can be a big side, even though we're younger than others."

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