Star Essendon defender Adam Saad and the club are still are long way off a new deal, reports The Herald Sun.
The speedster is out of contract at the end of the season and there is no indication a deal will be struck in the near future.
Saad finished third and fourth in the Bombers' past two best and fairests and has started the 2020 season in blistering form.
With the news last week about Conor McKenna's positive COVID-19 test, Saad was one of the teammates that was training alongside McKenna and at risk of being put in quarantine.
But thankfully Saad and his teammates escaped quarantine and all tested negative, meaning they are able to face off against Carlton this weekend.
Saad signed a three-year deal with Essendon worth around $450,000-$500,000 per season, but that could be set to increase his recent improvement.
Champion Data indicates Saad, 25, is an elite defender, especially in the categories of disposals, intercepts and metres gained.
