Jed Walter celebrates a goal during the round 11 match between Gold Coast and North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, on May 23, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

JED Walter is poised to turn down massive rival interest and stay at Gold Coast on a new deal.

The young Suns forward has been the target of huge interest across the competition, but AFL.com.au can reveal he is closing in on signing a new three-year contract with the club.

As he comes to the end of his current deal this year, the extension would take him through to the end of 2029 at the Suns, where he was a local Academy graduate and taken with pick No.2 in the stellar 2023 draft.

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Walter has been weighing up his options across the season, with interest from clubs such as Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorn and Essendon in Victoria. He met with the Bombers only hours after Brad Scott was sacked as Essendon coach and the Bombers have been most aggressive in chasing his signature.

They offered a five-year deal worth around $800,000 a year, before the Suns tabled a bigger deal across five years.

The Bombers then lifted their offer, which AFL.com.au revealed rose to nearly $6 million across five years, but the 21-year-old is set to stay at the Suns on a three-year extension.

Jed Walter during round 17 between Gold Coast and Collingwood at People First Stadium, July 4, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

It is a big vote of confidence in Gold Coast as they lock in one of their key planks and comes at a time when fellow key forward Ben King is strongly considering a move to Hawthorn.

The free agent was expected to sign on with the Suns mid-season but his ties to Melbourne have seen him grow more interested in a switch to the Hawks.