JUSSI Jaaskelainen is on the verge of settling his long-running contract dispute with Wanderers.

The Finland keeper's Reebok future has been in doubt since it was revealed in December that he had still to sign the three-year deal he was reported to have agreed last summer.

Talks collapsed, Sam Allardyce suggested a dispute over a particular clause in the contract meant his star keeper may have to be sold, and the Whites longest serving player admitted he may reluctantly have to move to another club for financial security.

But Allardyce, who confirmed recently that talks had resumed, said today: "From what I can understand, Jussi is very close to agreeing his deal."

A settlement could be announced as early as next week.

"Nothing has been finalised," the player's agent, Peter Harrison, said. "But we have had more talks."

Jaskelainen, who joined Wanderers from VPS Vaasa in November 1997, recently clocked up 300 appearances for Wanderers and has matured into one of the best goalkeepers in the Premiership.

He has been linked in the past with Manchester United, but the revelation that he was in dispute with Wanderers led to speculation that Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Wigan were keen.

Thirty-one next month and still with another season on his current contract, Jaaskelainen has repeatedly expressed a desire to stay at Bolton, where his two sons were born and brought up. He regards the current Wanderers team as the best he has ever played in.

"I believe we are a stronger side than last season, when we finished sixth," he said. "We haven't had a bad spell this season like we endured last season in November and December.

"We learned from that and you can see that in the results.

"Right now we still have everything to play for. Over the past few seasons we have finished stronger and we firmly believe we can do that again."