St Kilda are stockpiling a lucrative offer to lure Gold Coast key-forward Ben King to Moorabbin.
As reported byย The Herald Sun'sย Jay Clark, the Saints are expected to aggressively chase the 20-year-old at the end of next season when King's contract expires.
It is understood that King will delay contract negotiations until 2022 as he sets his sights on leading the Suns to their first top-eight finish.
The idea of joining his brother Max in the Saints forward structure is sure to be enticing when matching the concept with the dream of playing for the club he followed as a kid.
However, it will be a matter of how the Saints can land the impressive spearhead should he be made available.
The acquisition of King won't come cheap given his high ceiling and the Suns' hopes of retaining several key young guns.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Goals
With King seen as a future top-five forward alongside his brother, Gold Coast are sure to demand a war chest of wealth in exchange for his signature.
Unlike Max, Ben has managed two full seasons since being drafted in 2018, booting 65 goals from his 39 games with the Queensland club, taking out the Suns' leading goalkicker tally last year.
With star midfielder Jack Billings entering free agency this season and the cashed-up North Melbourne potentially showing interest in the 25-year-old, the Saints could look to collect compensation to increase their bid for King.
Given Billings' assumed high asking price and a potential best and fairest podium finish in 2021 given his impressive start to the season, the Saints could snare a first-round selection in compensation.
The Saints are also set to deal with the futures of midfielder duo Seb Ross and Luke Dunstan along with veteran defender Jake Carlisle, who could also be seen as expendable in hope of landing another big-name target.
