WESTERN Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli is set to ink a new long-term deal with the club.
Bontempelli is one of the game's biggest name restricted free agents this season but will take his name off the list with a new four-year contract extension.
The deal will tie the champion Bulldog to the club through to the end of 2025, when he will be 30.
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The 25-year-old skipper had told the club in the pre-season that he would be staying at Whitten Oval but that he wanted to focus on the team getting off to a strong start before entering discussions.
Those talks picked up in recent weeks, with a deal likely to be confirmed soon by the club.
The No.4 draft pick from 2013 has been an instant star of the competition, helping lead the club to its breakthrough 2016 premiership and being a three-time All Australian.
He was appointed captain of the club at the end of 2019 and is in perhaps career-best form this season, including his four-goal and 26-disposal effort against St Kilda on Saturday night.
His imminent recommitment means the club can turn its focus to re-signing a number of out-of-contract players, such as Tom Liberatore and youngster Cody Weightman, while also being keen to get the ball rolling on extending deals for Jack Macrae, Caleb Daniel and Tim English, who are all out of contract next year.
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With Bontempelli's contract and Patrick Cripps' pending deal at Carlton, it leaves Essendon's Zach Merrett and Greater Western Sydney's Josh Kelly as the highest profile restricted free agents remaining out of contract around the competition.
