THE WESTERN Bulldogs are "very close" to re-signing star playmaker Marcus Bontempelli, CEO Ameet Bains says.

The 22-year-old is out of contract at the end of 2019, and he's said numerous times over the past 12 months he's eager to remain at Whitten Oval.

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Speaking on SEN on Friday morning, Bains was confident that Bontempelli, the club's vice-captain, would put pen to paper sooner rather than later.

"Those conversations have been ongoing between (Dogs list manager) Sam Power and Marcus' manager Tom Petroro for a number of weeks," Bains said.

"I think we are getting very close to getting something done. 

"Marcus is an incredibly important player for the footy club, one of the best players in the comp, so it's critical we get him locked away.

"We would be hopeful of getting that one done in the coming weeks."

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In what could be a hint to what the duration of the new deal will be, Bains was non-committal on whether the impending agreement with Bontempelli would be similar to the seven-year contract fellow superstar Dustin Martin signed with Richmond last year.

"Regardless of what the final length will be, what Bulldog fans will be the most pleased to hear about is Marcus' commitment to the footy club and how he talks about the future of the football club and his role in leading it forward is exemplary," Bains said. 

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Best and fairest Lachie Hunter is another key Bulldog to come out of contract at the end on next season, while impressive youngsters Bailey Williams, Josh Dunkley and Patrick Lipinski will also need to be locked away.