Fulham want to call key defender Brede Hangeland in for showdown contract talks before Christmas in an attempt to prevent him leaving the club on a free transfer.
The Craven Cottage club are keen to tie down their 31-year-old captain to a new and improved long-term contract.
But if Fulham are not able to agree an extension with Hangeland then they are ready to listen to offers in January for the Norway skipper, who is understood to earn in the region of £40,000 a week.
Manager Martin Jol has made sorting out Hangeland's future a top priority for the club's board - but the centre half has so far resisted their efforts to begin negotiations.
As the situation stands, Hangeland - who has made 169 Fulham appearances since joining in 2008 from FC Copenhagen - can sign a free transfer pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in January.