Torpedo close in on Australia fullback Franjic

MOSCOW (AP) — Torpedo Moscow says the club is close to signing Australia full-back Ivan Franjic.

The 26-year-old has won three Australian A-League titles with his current club Brisbane Roar.

He represented his country at the World Cup in Brazil, but his campaign was cut short by a hamstring injury suffered in the opening 3-1 defeat to Chile.

Torpedo president Alexander Tukmanov was quoted as saying by Russian agency R-Sport that "almost all of the agreements regarding the transfer" have been reached.

Franjic would be the only Australian playing in Russian football after Luke Wilkshire left Dynamo Moscow as a free agent at the end of last season.

The coming season will be Torpedo Moscow's first in the Russian Premier League since 2006.