Essendon will need to offer a first-round pick to secure Jye Caldwell from GWS.
The out-of-contract midfielder is keen to move to the Bombers to kickstart his career but GWS will not allow the former pick 11 to leave on the cheap.
According to Mitch Cleary from AFL.com.au, the Giants will demand a first-round pick for a player they have put "enormous time into".
"We want it to be around the mark of what we paid for in the draft scenario," Giants head of football Jason McCartney told ABC Sport on Saturday.
"He was a mid-first-round pick and we certainly don't see anything that's changed, and he's actually got better."
"We've invested an enormous amount of time in Jye, and Jye's done really well in conjunction with our medical team.
"He's ready to play… he's cherry ripe and ready to explode.
The Bombers could secure Caldwell in the pre-season draft if a deal can not be reached but they will have to hope that other clubs such as North Melbourne and Hawthorn don't pick him first.
The Giants have lost a number of talented players to rival clubs since their inception in 2012 and are expected to lose superstar Jeremy Cameron to Geelong in the next couple of weeks.
Their insistence to match Geelong's offer for Cameron and play hardball with the Bombers for Caldwell signals their intent to hold onto their talent instead of being a feeder club for the rest of the league.
