Dutchman Louis van Gaal has emerged as a leading candidate in Australia's hunt for a new coach after the AFC Asian Cup.

Graham Arnold will guide the team to the finals in South East Asia in the summer, but a list of top names has been linked with the post as the Socceroos prepare to attempt to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Africa in 2010.

Van Gaal, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995 and has also coached Barcelona and the Netherlands, was linked with the job by Melbourne's The Age newspaper just days after Football Federation Australia boss Ben Buckley returned from a fact-finding trip to Europe.

Former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann, Leo Beenhakker - who took Trinidad & Tobago to the World Cup finals last year - and ex-South Korea manager Dick Advocaat are among the men to have also been linked with the position.

"We have spoken to a number of people in recent weeks and we'd like to have someone in place by the end of this year," Buckley said.