Van Persie, Valencia added to FFA marquee list

Former Arsenal star Robin van Persie and current Manchester United player Antonio Valencia have reportedly been added Football Federation Australia's marquee wish list. 

The FFA have $3 million in Fox Sports funding to spend each season on bringing high-profile players to Australia with Keisuke Honda the big name brought in this campaign.

Already looking ahead to next season with Honda unlikely to extend his stay, the FFA are eyeing off the likes of van Persie, Valencia, Ryan Babel, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben- according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

At 35, van Persie has claimed this season with Feyenoord will be his last but the Dutch striker has been in red-hot form scoring 14 goals across 19 Eredivisie matches.

Van Persie has also spent his entire career in Europe, making a change of scenery playing Down Under a potentially attractive option. 

Valencia meanwhile has made just five Premier League appearances this season for the Red Devils with his contract set to expire in June. 

Though a free agent, Valencia wouldn't come cheaply with reports suggesting late last year he was earning £100,000 (AU $186,000) each week at Old Trafford which is well out of the FFA's reach.

Babel looms as a left-field option with the former Liverpool winger recently joining Fulham on a short-term deal.

With the Cottagers likely to be relegated, Babel's long-term future in England will be cast under some doubt and the 32-year-old has previously played in Asia with Al Ain. 

Ribery and Robben, who have been on the FFA's radar previously, perhaps loom as the most likely candidates right now with both confirming they'll leave Bayern Munich at season's end.

Western Sydney Wanderers coach Markus Babbel has already reached out to Ribery about coming to the A-League but conceded his arrival is unlikely. 

While some of these targets could well be wishful thinking from the FFA, the previous arrival of Alessandro Del Piero​ in 2012 proves it can pay off to be ambitious.