The Wanderers had two forwards with the most potential in Australian football last season, Tomi Juric and Kerem Bulut, but both left the club in recent months – and occasional striker Nikita Rukavytsya is also looking for a new home – leaving a gaping hole in attack.

Nor has the task of finding new forwards been easy, and the club is still waiting to see what options are presented, be they from within the A-League or abroad. Either way, chief executive John Tsatsimas says an elite finisher is their top priority as pre-season approaches.

"There's only a few spots left for us to fill and we make no secret that our priority is getting a top-quality No.9 to the club," Tsatsimas said on Sunday. "That's now our main focus in recruitment. But we're not panicking and we think there's still plenty of time. We'll make the right call when the time comes. The key for us is to get it right.

"We've been fairly judicious in our processes since the end of the season and we haven't rushed into anything. There's a period coming up where we think more options might materialise."

Funds have been set aside by owner Paul Lederer to buy a marquee – the club even briefly inquired about Chelsea legend Didier Drogba – and with Nichols set to take the No.10 role in coach Tony Popovic's preferred 4-2-3-1 system, a well-credentialed striker, albeit not necessarily a big name, is what they're after.

"Any club is looking for a top-line striker but it's no different from the formula we used in the first year [eschewing Michael Ballack to sign Shinji Ono] and that is what is best for the team, our make-up and who can deliver," Tsatsimas said. "We won't be going for names for the sake of names. We'll be going with someone who is able to contribute to the team and help us grow as a club."

While plenty has been made about Nichols' signing, Tsatsimas is equally excited about what veteran Spanish holding midfielder Andreu, formerly of FC Barcelona's youth team, may be able to bring to the side after he penned a deal earlier in the week.

"We have a number of contacts that we trust and we examined this one pretty closely over a number of months," Tsatsimas said. "He has a significant pedigree, great experience and he's one we believe will potentially help us change the way we play and our strategy. He's a very technical player, we're hoping he's able to have a great impact and that he settles in straight away."

Andreu is effectively taking the spot of foundation squad member Iacopo La Rocca, the no-nonsense Italian midfielder who has joined Adelaide United.

"Iacopo was a fantastic servant of the club but it came to the point where both parties needed to get a bit of freshness about themselves," Tsatsimas said. "But we wish Iacopo all the best, he was a big part of our early success and he'll always be welcomed at the Wanderers."

While some may think the Parramatta-based club is struggling to retain members after the worst of their three A-League seasons, it's been the complete opposite.

Official membership sales have only been open for a few days but the club has recorded a staggering 11,435 renewals in the first 24 hours.

It's all but certain the club will fully subscribe its membership capacity of 15,500 and the waiting list – which costs $80 just to join – will remain in place.

"It's certainly been an outstanding response in terms of interest and sheer numbers, and you always get a realistic view of where you sit in the pantheon after you've had a bad season in the A-League and your fans still stand by you," Tsatsimas said. "It's a credit to the Western Sydney supporters and the community, who just remain determined to support this team, as they did right from the outset."