ONGOING contract negotiations see Adam McPhee remain at Essendon following Friday's second official list lodgement.

By remaining a Bomber for now, McPhee cannot nominate for the NAB AFL Draft on November 26 and has until the third list lodgement on December 2 to decide his future.

The 27-year-old has been offered a two-year deal by the club, however, it is understood he wants three years.

McPhee can leave Essendon at any time to nominate for the NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft on December 15.

General manager of football operations Paul Hamilton said Essendon would still work to re-sign him.

"Adam is a listed Essendon player and we will continue negotiations about a new contract," he told the club's website.

The statement said the Bombers expected a decision "in the near future".

Earlier on Friday, coach Matthew Knights voiced his hopes of retaining the utility, who has played 167 AFL games.

"He's a senior body, an experienced player, and he's played at a high level for a long period. You can't afford to lose those players," he said from training at Windy Hill.

"Adam's got to make a choice about what he thinks is best for his football career also, and I'm very mindful as a coach that another opportunity would open for another player.

"We'd certainly like Adam to stay but he's got to really want to be at the club and with where we're going."

McPhee has recently been linked to Fremantle, where he started his AFL career in 2001.

With Melbourne and Richmond likely to have a selection in the pre-season draft, Fremantle could snare the 2004 All Australian with the third pick.

Log on to afl.com.au on D-day, Thursday, November 26, for the most comprehensive coverage of the 2009 NAB AFL Draft. We’ll have live chats, live audio streams, in-depth player profiles, club reaction and our famous afl.com.au Draft Tracker.