A-League club Melbourne City are hoping they can have David Villa back for a few games before his guest stint expires.
The former Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker is just two games into his 10-match spell in Melbourne but is about to be recalled by MLS expansion franchise New York City FC who signed him in June.
Villa will head to New York after City's Round 4 meeting with Adelaide United on October 31 to see his family and to fulfil commercial obligations with NYCFC but head coach John van 't Schip suggests he may be back in Melbourne before the 10-game window closes.
"That's something between the clubs," he said.
"I'm confident that he's happy here and there will be some talks in the coming days."
Furthermore, a City spokesperson added: "We would obviously want a player of his calibre to represent the club in as many games of the guest allowance as possible between now and the commencement of MLS pre-season training in January.
"The precise number of A-League games that David will play will be determined by the best interests of the player and his now New York-based family and the prioritisation of the requirements of both New York City FC and Melbourne City FC."
Since arriving in Melbourne, Spain's all-time leading scorer has netted two goals in two outings for the A-League's seventh-placed side.
