Janko yet to sign but Sydney FC confident
Star striker Marc Janko is yet to accept Sydney FC's offer to stay at the A-League club but chairman Scott Barlow remains confident of securing his signature, insisting these things take time.
Sydney tabled an offer to the Austrian marquee, reportedly worth $1.4 million, almost two weeks ago but Janko is yet to put pen to paper.
Janko has attracted interest in Europe with his blistering form this season in which he's earned the Golden Boot award courtesy of his 16 goals.
But Barlow says he's confident the Sky Blues will retain the 31-year-old forward.
"We're in regular conversations with him," Barlow told AAP on Monday.
"It's in a positive place at the moment. We've put forward an offer and these things take time and there's always areas to be discussed but we feel positive and are quietly confident about Marc being with us next season."
Bernie Ibini and Shane Smeltz, who both scored in Sydney's 2-1 win over Wellington on Sunday to secure second spot on the ladder and a home semi-final, are also among a host of players to come off contract at the end of the season.
Ibini is on loan from Shanghai Dongya but Barlow said Sydney were in contact with the Chinese Super League outfit to keep the talented 22-year-old at Sydney and hope to have a resolution soon.
"You can't put a deadline on those things," Barlow said.
"We'd love to keep him. He's been in fine form of late and scored a great goal last night and is a player who will continue to get better.
"He's still contracted to his club in China so we'll progress those conversations and we're confident he'll be at Sydney going forward."
Smeltz, who has been angling for a move abroad given his frustration at being relegated to the bench in favour of Janko, will need to decide whether he will stay at Sydney or take up an offer in Malaysia.
The Sky Blues will also need to secure the likes of Serbian midfielder Milos Dimitrijevic and Senegalese pair Mickael Tavares and Jacques Faty, who all come off contract.
Barlow said coach Graham Arnold was intent on keeping all the key players at the club.
"We've got a great squad of players this season and our aim and Graham's aim is to keep the core of that squad in tact for next season," Barlow said.
Defender Sasa Ognenovski and midfielder Nicky Carle are likely to be released while youngsters Peter Triantis, Corey Gameiro and Hagi Gligor could also be on the chopping block.
