EXCLUSIVE: Wanderers land Griffiths to bolster attacking stocks

Western Sydney Wanderers have turned to much-travelled striker Ryan Griffiths in a bid to beef up their scant attacking depth.

Ryan Griffiths will return for his third A-League stint after signing for Western Sydney Wanderers Source: Getty Images

Griffiths, 35,  whose career credits include Australia, Romania, China, Malaysia and - most recently- Hong Kong, is expected to arrive in Wanderland imminently as coach Tony Popovic seeks to bolster his ranks ahead of the club's participation in the AFC Champions League.

Having failed to land Brazilian star Eduardo and then Robbie Keane, Popovic was also linked with Dimitar Berbatov without a deal being done.

And, with Kerem Bulut exiting the club, he has been forced to soldier with either rookie Lachlan Scott or veteran Brendon Santalab up top. The inexperienced Jaushua Sotirio has also been an option, and both he and Scott were on the scoresheet in last Sunday's 2-0 win over Newcastle Jets.

The signing of Griffiths, who has negotiated a release from Hong Kong-based South China, heralds the arrival of a player who still has considerable pace, either operating through the middle or out wide.

A source in Hong Kong revealed that South China had been in discussions with Griffiths's Australian agent Ante Alilovic, and that the deal to join Wanderers had been agreed by all parties.

It's unlikely Griffiths will be eligible for Saturday's visit to Suncorp Stadium to face Brisbane Roar, but he could be cleared for next weekend's trek to Wellington.