A deal for Crystal Palace's Nick Carle is very close according to Sydney FC coach Vitezslav Lavicka. The Sky Blues are in hot pursuit of the midfielder who is currently preparing to make the Australian World Cup squad and Lavicka has revealed that a deal could be done by the end of the week with help from assistant coach Tony Popovic.

"He's (Popovic) working very hard because his relationship with Crystal Palace board is very close. He's a very important part of this transfer," Lavicka said.

"Negotiations are still going but maybe we'd like to finish maybe this week but it's unpredictable, hard to say.

"I think he [Carle] is the right stone for our philosophy and strategy but it's hard to say now. We're working, every person at Sydney FC from the board and player's agent are working very hard for this transfer and I hope we make a deal.

"We need to fight to bring the right number 10, the new Stevie Corica, and we spoke about it before among the coaching staff and we make a decision that Nicky Carle is right for us."

Carle was in and out of Palace's first team this season and has been linked with a move away from the club for some time now with Sydney being the likely destination all along.