Western Sydney Wanderers were poised to lose one of their best players with news star midfielder Aaron Mooy was set to join a rival A-League team.

The 23-year-old has fielded interest from overseas clubs but Fairfax Media understands he will remain in Australia – although, it was not clear which club he had agreed to join – to push for a place in Ange Postecoglou’s World Cup squad.

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Meanwhile, Sydney FC was believed to be on the verge of losing Iraqi-born Ali Abbas after contract discussions between him and the club stalled.

Abbas has been a shining light for Sydney where, despite playing in a team crammed with stars such as Alessandro Del Piero and Brett Emerton, he was regarded as one of Sydney most reliable players.