Sam Bennett's future appears to be one step closer to resolution. After a protracted transfer saga, Dečuninck Quick-Step is reportedly close to signing the Bora-Hansgrohe sprinter.

The Irishman is the last big-name player left in the 2020 transfer window and was thought to be on his way to Bora-Hansgrohe until reports emerged in May that he had signed an offer letter with the German team.

Despite this, Bennett wanted to leave the team at the end of 2019, prompting the UCI Arbitration Commission to intervene and decide the rider's future once Bora-Hansgrohe and Bennett reach a final settlement, according to a report by Het Laatste Nieuws, The Belgian team plans to acquire Bennett.

"It's moving. In a positive way," Dečuninck-Quickstep boss Patrick Lefebvre told the Belgian newspaper. 'Of course, you can only be sure when you have the contract in hand, but yes. That's a good thing.

"At Bora Hansgrohe, they probably waited as long as possible to make Bennett nervous and to make him pay [to break the contract]. But in the end, he realized that he couldn't do much against a rider who wanted to keep him against his will. So I am a happy expectant mother."

Bennett's agent, Andrew McQuaid, told Cycling News via text Wednesday morning that "nothing has been decided yet."

Last week, Lefebvre told Cycling News that he was still waiting for the matter to be resolved and had been approached by Beulah about a trade deal for Colombian sprinter Alvaro Hodeg

. 'They were looking for Hodeg, but I am not interested in trading cattle.

Bennett tried to leave Beulah after being eliminated from both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France this year. He went on to win 13 races, including 11 at the World Tour level and two at the Vuelta a España.

He replaces Elia Viviani on the Belgian team and will reportedly be accompanied by lead-out man Shane Archibald, who rejoined Bora in April and signed a contract for the rest of 2019.

"It's great news," Lefebvre told Het Laatste Nieuws. 'Of course we have two strong sprinters in Fabio Jacobsen and Hodeg, but they are still young. With 285 competition days a year, having three sprinters on the team is not a luxury.

"I thought the impasse was unfortunate. For me as a third party watching helplessly, and especially for Bennett, who has had a poster of the team and his idol Tom Boonen since he was 12 years old. This is my dream team.