Football Federation Australia is yet to receive any notice of a formal bid for a new Sydney-based A-League team as the governing body prepares to release the official criteria for expansion next month.

The region that appeared most likely to be rewarded with a new team may be at risk of falling behind bidders in other states as none of the five formal bids received by the FFA have come from the country's biggest city.

Strong base: The Wollongong Wolves playing Sydney Olympic at WIN stadium in May 2015. The Wolves are looking to launch a bid for an A-League team. Credit:Adam McLean

Bids from Melbourne, Tasmania, Wollongong, Geelong and Brisbane already have been publicly unveiled and are gathering momentum, yet no party from Sydney has made a notable push for expansion. A likely Geelong-based team with the working title "Victoria Patriots" is already considering plans to build a stadium. A Tasmanian bid has received local, state and federal government support, while a Brisbane bid, led by former Roar coach Miron Bleiberg, is said to have attracted significant corporate backing.

While more bids are certain to arise in the coming months, Fairfax Media understands the FFA are not aware of any potential bid from Sydney. While the governing body previously fancied the rich player base of southern Sydney as their preferred place of expansion, they have only received informal expressions of interest from local councils and football associations for a potential A-League licence.