Usain Bolt has been offered a two-year contract from an unnamed club in Europe, his agent has told ESPN.
Bolt, an eight-time Olympic sprint champion, captured worldwide attention when he scored two goals for Central Coast Mariners of Australia’s A-League in their friendly against Macarthur South West United.
Agent Tony Rallis, who is representing Bolt while he is in Australia, told ESPN: “There is a club in Europe that has offered Bolt a two-year deal, they have been taken over by new owners who have aspirations of Champions League football.”
– Brantz: Lightning strikes twice for Bolt
– ‘Too early to tell’ on Bolt contract – Mariners CEO
– Bolt’s switch to soccer puts him in exclusive company
While the proposed European club remains a mystery, the Mariners already have international connections with Sao Paulo in Brazil, Sheffield United in England and Ferencvaros in Hungary.
The Mariners also name English Premier League side Everton as a player development partner and have a similar partnership with Maltese Premier League side Balzan FC.
Serbian striker Andrija Majdevac, who plays for Balzan, has trained alongside Bolt with the Mariners and featured alongside him in Bolt’s first match with a professional side against a Central Coast XI select team in late August.
Bolt, who retired from track and field in 2017, has previously trained with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and has made no secret of his desire to play professional football.
Central Coast Mariners CEO Shaun Mielekamp told ESPN after Bolt’s two-goal show against Macarthur that “it’s too early to tell” whether the 32-year-old would earn a playing contract at the club.
Meanwhile, Bolt objected to receiving notice of a need to take a drugs test from Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) in a video he posted on Instagram.
“I’ve retired from track and field, working to become a footballer, but look at this: How am I going to get a drug test today?” Bolt said, holding up a pink slip of paper requesting a blood and urine test. “How? I’m not even a professional footballer yet. Seriously.
“So I asked the lady, ‘So why am I getting drug tested if I haven’t signed for a club yet?’ And she said they told her that all elite athletes have to get tested.”