Melbourne Victory are confident keeping striker Archie Thompson. The Australia international has been linked with an Asian club move in the Sydney press, but Melbourne chief Gary Cole told the Sunday Age: "Most of this squad have signed for next year and we want to keep our best players. When you get rid of them, you only have to find replacements and that's always difficult. Then you have to bring them in and hope they become part of an effective team.

"We would hope it (players leaving) doesn't happen, but at the end of the day this is a football club and players do come and go. Archie is a very important player for us and I know he and his family are very happy in Melbourne."