The January transfer window saw some notable Australian players mark their return to the Hyundai A-League but we could be set to see some even higher profile names in the future.

While Alex Wilkinson and Adam Taggart were great homegrown additions to the competition last month, some much bigger Aussie stars may have their sights set on a homecoming downunder. Here are three that could soon be on their way home.

Tim Cahill

There is no doubt the impact the all-time Socceroos’ leading goal scorer would have on the Hyundai A-League. It would be massive. Even at 36 years old Cahill has plenty to offer on the field and his experience would be invaluable to whichever A-League club snapped him up. But perhaps most of all, the rest of the league would benefit too.

He’s the biggest draw card Australian football has.

The crowds would flock to every stadium he visited.

The former Everton cult hero only joined Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua last year but he had his contract terminated on Tuesday. A report in the Shanghai Daily that morning eluded to his precarious future at the club as the club zoned in another high-profile arrival in the form of Obafemi Martins.

I’m very sorry to announce that I have reached an agreement with Shanghai Shenhua to terminate… https://t.co/OA3htt2v9k

— TIM CAHILL (@Tim_Cahill) February 16, 2016

Cahill did not join the rest of the team as they flew to South Korea for preseason preparations. By the evening he announced he was no longer under contract. Cahill himself had been critical of the Chinese league’s lavish spending, believing it would only hamper local talent, and comments he made last week seem to have foreshadowed his reluctant exit.

“They’ve got the power and when they want something, they get it and when they don’t want something they get rid of it,” he said.

“It’s pretty much like a revolving door, you see a lot of players coming in and a lot of players going.”

China’s loss could be the A-League’s gain. And a very big gain at that.

Tommy Oar

In January Oar chose to terminate his contract with Ipswich Town FC in January after struggling to adjust to life in England. He hinted a move back home would perhaps be best.

“I have been away from home for five or six years now,” he said.

“My family came over at Christmas and maybe I’ve got to a point where I want to be closer to home again.”

His manager at Ipswich Mick McCarthy said he had “shown great quality” and the club had high hopes for his future. They reluctantly agreed to let him go. He wasn’t shunted away.

The former Roar winger, renowned for his pace and trickery, was heavily linked to a move back to Brisbane but he didn’t end up signing. He could still be in line for a move in the off-season. Head coach John Aloisi and football operations manager Craig Moore are believed to be big fans. At 24 Oar is still young and has room to develop but would make an instant impact, returning to the A-League as a proven attacking weapon.

Rhys Williams

Perhaps not a player well known to Aussie football fans but one with a definite pedigree. He has spent 11 years with Middlesbrough FC but has struggled with successive Achilles injuries which have kept him out for two seasons.

Although he was made club captain in 2012, Williams has barely stepped on the pitch in the past couple of years and his contract will expire at the end of the season. He recently got some action out on loan at Charlton and he sounds keen for a fresh start in the A-League.

http://gty.im/185878914

“The league is growing and going there is something I’ve been discussing with my agent. We’ve had a few chats with different people and the thought appeals to me,” he said.

“Sometimes in life, you have to take a different route to go where you ultimately want to go and if I were to go back to Australia and be a big part of a team there, then why not?

“Come the summer I would be able to head back home, so if anybody is interested they should give me a call!”

Williams is also considering a shift to Asia and with the money being thrown around it would be hard to resist. A-League clubs should act quickly to try and snap him up.