HIGH-OCTANE Jets fullback Tarek Elrich hopes to head overseas at some stage of his career but said reports linking him to a move to Turkey were premature.
A prominent soccer website reported yesterday that powerbrokers connected with at least two Turkish Super League clubs had watched Elrich play in the A-League over the past two months.
Elrich, 22, has a year to run on his contract at the Jets and has no intention of leaving early.
"I'm not interested in going anywhere at the moment," Elrich told The Herald yesterday.
"I just want to focus on the Asian Champions League. I have one more year with the Jets and intend to see it out.
"A couple of Turkish scouts approached my agent, Tony Rallis, after we played Wellington in November.
"They did not specifically come out to watch me. They looked at a number of players.
"There have also been rumours about J-League clubs, but it is just talk.
"I do not want people to think I am going to leave in the next couple of months because it is not happening."
Turkey has proved a gateway to bigger things for a number of Australians.
Former Jets midfielder and A-League player of the year Nick Carle began his venture into Europe at Turkish club Genclerbirligi.
Bruce Djite, James Troisi and most recently Mile Jedinak are at the Ankara club.
"I definitely want to go to Europe," Elrich said.
"That is where the money is at. With all the cars and the diamonds I want to purchase I have to make the money.
"But I do not want to go too early and return when I am 25.
"I want to go there, stay there and then come back and finish my career at Newcastle."
The Jets have lost Jade North (Incheon United) and James Holland (AZ Alkmaar) in the past week and can ill afford to lose Elrich before the Asian Champions League.
Jets chief executive John Tsatsimas said the club had not received any enquiries about Elrich and stressed they would not let him go cheaply.
"Tarek is one of our best players now, and we are not about to lose everyone at the one time," he said.
"He has been our talisman this year.
"He has grown in stature and is only young."
Tsatsimas met with coach Gary van Egmond and performance manager Ian Crook to discuss potential recruits yesterday.
"We have a couple of players we are looking at and have devised a mode of attack," Tsatsimas said.
Van Egmond left for Dubai late last night for the group-stage draw of the ACL.
He hopes to land in the United Arab Emirates to news that Perth defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley has agreed to join the Jets.
"I expect a signed document to come tonight or tomorrow morning," Tsatsimas said.
AP reports: Carlos Villanueva's stunning free kick gave Blackburn a 1-0 victory at non-league Blyth Spartans in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday, setting up a meeting with Sunderland for a place in the last 16.
The Chile international scored in the 58th minute from 25 metres with a curling shot into the top corner.
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce, whose team are next to last in the Premier League, changed his entire line-up and filled his side with mainly back-up players at Croft Park.
Blyth play in the sixth tier of English football and had taken only one point from their previous 11 league games, but managed to give Rovers a first-half scare.
Blyth striker Ged Dalton squandered a great chance in the 26th minute when he collected a weak clearance by Aaron Mokoena but shot wide with goalkeeper Mark Bunn off his line.