Fulham are set to open contract talks with winger Damien Duff before the year closes, according to the Fulham Chronicle.

The Irishman's deal runs out at the end of the season and, as such, he is free to talk to any foreign club and sign a pre-contract after January.

At 33, though, he falls into a bracket of players at Fulham who are, generally, only offered short term deals and it is believed that, partly because of this, Danny Murphy left over the summer to settle into a lengthier contract at Blackburn Rovers.

Martin Jol does not want this to happen again, though, and talks are set to begin sooner rather than later.

"We've still got time," Jol said of the situation.

"Damien's not the youngest player in the world so we will do that in the next couple of months.

"He was a very important player and was always in the top three with his fitness, although he's a bit older.

"He's one of the best pros you will ever see and always give 100 per cent. If he's fit you would always like to keep him."

It's not quite a statement of the utmost certainty but it's a start, at the very least.