Soccer: Huysegems deal talks look grim

Stein Huysegems of the Phoenix. Photo / Getty Images

Wellington Phoenix striker Stein Huysegems expects to know in the next few days whether he will be back at the A-League club next season but the outlook is grim.

The Belgian import, who has scored a club-best 10 goals this season, has been locked in negotiations around a contract extension for the past few months.

Huysegems desperately wants a two-year deal but the club have only tabled him a one-season offer.

The situation was muddied further last month when his Melbourne-based agent Dragan Jetvic told Australian website The World Game that the Phoenix's offer to Huysegems did not "meet his expectations".

Originally it was thought the extra season was the only major sticking point but details have emerged recently that Huysegems has demanded a heavy price tag that would make him the highest-paid player in the club's history.

While his form has been reliable this season, the former Belgian international hasn't done enough to put himself in that class and moments like his glaring miss with the goal at his mercy during last Sunday's 1-0 loss to Adelaide haven't helped his cause.

For the 2015-2016 season, the import quota will drop from five to four in the A-League, which is possibly why the Phoenix don't want to commit to the 31-year-old for any more than one season.

Wellington meet Sydney FC across the Tasman tomorrow as they try to keep their ailing playoff hopes alive.

Huysegems said he would sit down with the club for another chat this weekend. "If it's one-year then I'll say no," he said. "So if the club wants to do a two-year deal, okay."

It's understood the club won't budge on their desire to offer Huysegems only a one-year contract and given his salary demands it looks increasingly unlikely he will be back in the capital next season.

"The ideal situation would be to sign here for a two-year deal and stay here," Huysegems said.

Meanwhile, defender Luke Adams and goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley have come in to the Phoenix squad for tomorrow's game at Allianz Stadium following Manny Muscat's suspension and a thumb injury to backup custodian Lewis Italiano.