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AFL midfield star Sam Walsh comes out of contract at the end of 2022 and is hot property after finishing fourth in the Brownlow Medal this year.
Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh's manager says the emerging superstar won't rush negotiations on a new deal with the AFL club.
Walsh, whose current deal expires at the end of 2022, is one of the key planks in the Blues' plans to climb the ladder under new coach Michael Voss.
The 21-year-old is positioned to form a long-term partnership with likely trade period recruit Adam Cerra alongside captain Patrick Cripps in a beefed-up midfield.
Cripps and Coleman Medal winner Harry McKay have both signed new deals in recent months and there were reports mid-season that Carlton had made progress on a long-term agreement with Walsh.
A new four-year contract would take the 2018 No.1 draft pick through to free agency.
Walsh finished fourth in the Brownlow Medal count this year and will command a bumper salary that could make him the Blues' highest-paid player.
"He's really enjoyed his time at Carlton and there's no rush from our end, but in saying that, there's no issue either," Walsh's manager Scott Lucas, of Phoenix Management, told Trade Radio on Friday.
Walsh's outstanding 2021 season played out against a tumultuous backdrop as incoming Carlton president Luke Sayers put the club's football department under the intense spotlight of an external review.
It resulted in the sacking of coach David Teague, while chief executive Cain Liddle and several assistant coaches also departed.
Lucas indicated that uncertainty had played a role in delaying Walsh's decision on a long-term commitment to the club.
But the appointment of former Brisbane champion Voss has brought renewed optimism at the Blues.
Lucas said he won't put a deadline on discussions about Walsh's new deal just yet.
"At times you do but that's more if it got to the start of next year and you haven't done anything that you might put a deadline on it," Lucas said.
"There's no games being played for the next six months, so there's no rush.
"Players are away, they'd like to have an off-season and not think about it.
"I'm sure before Christmas if they're back training or within the months after Christmas we'll have a bit more of a chat about it.
"But there's certainly no rush from our end and I don't think there's a rush from Carlton's end."
Carlton's first to fourth-year players are due back at training on November 22, with Voss looking to guide the Blues back into the finals for the first time since 2013.