Everton are keen to secure Stephen Pienaar to a new contract.
The South African midfielder, 28, will be one of the tournament's poster boys and he has attracted interest from a string of top European clubs, including Bayern Munich.
Pienaar has just over a year left on his Everton deal and there have been suggestions he will not start negotiations on a new contract until after the World Cup, says the News of the World.
But I understand the two parties have started preliminary talks and the club is confident that an agreement will be in place ahead of South Africa 2010.