SYDNEY FC

It was tempting to put Sydney FC first simply on their gob-smacking snatch and grab for Kosta Barbarouses and Alex Baumjohann, really showering the salt in dominance of Western Sydney Wanderers and their quest to usurp Melbourne Victory to that 'biggest club in the country tag'.

But it would have been ignoring the gigantic chasm that remains, and seems to remain for the A-League's top clubs every off-season,and the inability to lure (never mind retain) major jaw dropping marquees.

Given the hefty price and rarity of Asian marquees in the A-League, it makes Asian Champions League success seem a pipedream. Just when you get one squad used to the travails of competing on the continent, they're released and you have to blood in a new bunch of Europeans instead.

It's hard to say exactly who the rest of that bunch will be, because while the reigning Champions have split ways with De Jong and Ghoochannedjad (finally we can stop spelling it), Barbarouses and Baumjohann remain their only signings so far.

The losses keep coming though: Calver proved a force but agreed to ditch Sydney ironically just before he became a key part in the starting XI but the expected arrival of Ryan McGowan may help heal that wound rapidly.

De Silva and Brillante cut into the midfield, while Alex Brosque, clearly the heart and soul of the Harbour City, may prove an unquantifiable loss.

Ultimately it's just a big 'Wait and see', but what Sydney have lacked in quantity they have aimed to make up for with quality so far.

IN

Kosta Barbarouses (Melbourne Victory), Alex Baumjohann (Western Sydney Wanderers)

OUT

Alex Brosque (retired)
Siem de Jong, Reza Ghoochannejhad (APOEL), Anthony Caceres (Manchester City), Daniel De Silva (Central Coast Mariners)
Aaron Calver (Western United) Josh Brillante, Jop van der Linden, Alex Cisak, Mitch Austin, Jacob Tratt, Cameron Devlin (all released)