The Swiss, who was linked with a return to Legia Warsaw and Panathinaikos during the off-season, hasn’t featured yet in 2022-2023, with coach John Aloisi understood to be willing to cut loose last term’s grand final hero.

If a mutual parting of the ways can be arranged between United and the still potent 32-year-old, then free agent Fornaroli could be recruited and unveiled after the World Cup in a second coming to Melbourne after his three year spell with Melbourne City yielded 48 goals in 70 games.

He would not be able to officially join United - who have lost three of their opening four A-League games - until the January transfer window to replace Prijovic, whose contract is believed to be worth in excess of $1 million a year.

Aloisi is believed to have earmarked Fornaroli, 35, as a potential target Aloisi last month, as United’s relationship with Prijovic began to fracture.

The Uruguayan native left Perth Glory by mutual consent on Saturday after a fallout with coach Ruben Zadkovich.

Aloisi might have to ward off Melbourne Victory boss Tony Popovic though, after the latter took Fornaroli to Glory from Melbourne City three years ago and could seek to snare him again.

Fornaroli sits fifth on the A-League all-time goalscoring list with 82 goals in 142 games.

Prijovic, meanwhile, was again absent from United’s squad for Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Central Coast, and there appears little immediate prospect of a reconciliation between the club and a player whose hopes of departing for Greece or Poland pre-season were quashed by United.

The former Serbian international has two years left on his contract and scored 13 goals and conjured six assists last season across 27 appearances. 

He was a finals kingpin, scoring four and assisting one, taking United to A-League Men glory.