Brent Stanton is poised to knock back rival interest and sign a one-year contract extension at Essendon with "a very achievable" trigger clause to push the deal into the 2017 season.
The 29-year-old midfielder had been holding out for a two-year extension, but the Bombers' reluctance has forced a compromise.
However, it seems almost certain that Stanton, a veteran of 248 games for the Dons, will be wearing red and black under new coach John Worsfold for at least one more year.
"We're making slow progress with Essendon at the moment; hopefully in the next couple of days we should have something done there," Stanton's manager Adam Ramanauskas told NAB AFL Trade Radio.
"He's been a great player for Essendon. There has been a little bit of interest from other clubs, but that being said something should get done at Essendon over the next couple of days.
"I think we've found some common ground there now. It's swinging back towards looking like a trigger that's very achievable for him."
More to come