Carlton have reportedly tabled a four-year deal to Fremantle young gun Adam Cerra, with the off-contract midfielder currently fielding offers from the Blues and Dockers.
According to News Limited journalist Kim Hagdorn, Carlton have put forward a deal estimated to be worth just shy of $750,000-per-season for the 21-year-old.
Cerra is seen as a key asset to Justin Longmuir's tenure moving forward, pairing well with fellow 2017 first-round selection Andrew Brayshaw in the Dockers' engine room under captain Nat Fyfe.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
TRADE NEWS: Port Adelaide chasing Essendon star midfielder
While the Blues' deal is understood to be smaller than the Dockers' four-year, $3 million contract extension, the thought of returning home to Victoria could tilt the scales in Carlton's favour.
Speaking on SEN WA Drive, Hagdorn revealed the two clubs have both put forward significant offers to Cerra.
“Adam Cerra is a prime re-signing amongst about 20 Fremantle players, including David Mundy, out of contract at the end of this year," Hagdorn told SEN WA Drive with Peter Vlahos.
“Adam Cerra is being offered something like $3 million over four seasons with Fremantle.
“But it seems as though Carlton have countered that with an offer close to $3 million – it’s not as good as Fremantle’s offer of $3 million – so $750,000 a year over those four years.
“Carlton have Adam Cerra in their sights at about $2.7-$2.8 million for four years.
“Now, that might depend on if they can wriggle a bit more if Patrick Cripps doesn’t stay with Carlton for instance."
Fremantle chief executive Simon Garlick responded to the reports, stating Cerra and his management are sure to continue negotiations with the club as the season progresses.
“He’s clearly a highly valued member of our team,’ he said on SEN WA’s The Sporting Goss.
“He’s an outstanding young man and he’s incredibly invested in the program and club in 2021 for what we hope is the foreseeable future.
“With that in mind, we’re in really positive discussions with Adam (Cerra) and his management and we look forward to progressing those positively in the weeks and months.”
Former Fremantle assistant Peter Sumich stated his beliefs last week that Cerra would be keen to return home to Victoria, along with teammates Darcy Tucker and Sean Darcy.
“I reckon Adam Cerra is going to go home. He hasn’t signed yet, he’s a Victorian, he’s looking at Fremantle going, ‘Are they the team that’s going to play finals or win a premiership?’ Right not he’s probably going not really,” Sumich said on SportFM.
“Fyfe is going to retire in two or three years time, Mundy at the end of the year, where does that leave it? They haven’t really got bookends you’d say are going to win them a premiership. He’s bound to go home.
“I’m hearing Darcy Tucker wants to go to Geelong and [Sean] Darcy the ruckman, Geelong are chasing him. All these Victorians are going to want to go home and we’ve got WA products that keep going out of our state.”
Cerra has played 62 games for Fremantle since making his debut in 2018.