Joe Lolley extends his stay with Sydney FC despite A-League’s financial woes

English winger Joe Lolley has rejected offers from rival A-League clubs to remain with Sydney FC.

Sydney FC star Joe Lolley is confident about the A-League’s future. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Sydney FC star Joe Lolley has no concerns about the A-League’s future, believing the competition will rebound from the financial crisis that has engulfed the sport.

Lolley, who signed a marquee deal understood to worth more than $1 million per season when he joined the Sky Blues in 2022, has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal that will keep him with Sydney until at least 2026.

While the Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory were believed to have offered the 31-year-old winger more money to leave the Sky Blues, Lolley was more than happy to remain with Sydney FC.

“Once I knew the club wanted to keep me for the longer term I wanted to make sure I go it done as soon as possible,” he said.

“You feel like you always have to listen to what’s out there. You don’t want just close all your options because a football career’s only short, but deep down I always wanted to stay at Sydney and I think it would have taken something pretty extraordinary to tempt me away.

“I’m very confident and very happy that I wanted to stay here.”

Joe Lolley has signed a new deal with Sydney FC. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Lolley was just as content to remain in the A-League despite the competition’s disastrous current financial state.

The Australian Professional Leagues, which runs the A-League’s men’s and women’s competitions, this week made close to 50 per cent of its staff redundant, with cost-cutting measures including the shutting down of KeepUp, its digital platform that sucked up $40 million in expenses.

It’s part of a “strategic and commercial review” the APL has undertaken to “create efficiencies through consolidation”.

“It’s a chance for the A-League to reset itself and grow in the future,” Lolley said.

“The A-League’s really good. Players are developing really well here … and we get a pretty good crowd here every week at Sydney. In an ideal world we’ll keep growing and improving those crowds.”

Originally published as Joe Lolley extends his stay with Sydney FC despite A-League’s financial woes