Champion boxer Anthony Mundine has emerged as a surprise intermediary in the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs pursuit of Kangaroos and Sydney Roosters centre Latrell Mitchell.

The Bulldogs football department is currently crunching the numbers to work out how the club can have a red hot crack at trying to sign Mitchell.

The development comes after Fox Sports revealed Mitchell has personally visited a high-ranking Bulldogs official’s home as part of the club’s pitch to sell the vision about the Canterbury-Bankstown family.

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Round 20

Could The Man be the deal-maker in the Dogs’ pursuit of Latrell? Source: AAP

Boxer and retired NRL champion Mundine has emerged as a surprise go-between for Mitchell and the Bulldogs, with the ex-Dragons and Broncos star enjoying close ties with a Bulldogs official.

The Sydney Roosters response to the Bulldogs’ courting of Mitchell will be fascinating. There’s a view the Roosters will offer Mitchell a two-year extension valued at around $1.3 million for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

The Kangaroos centre is already signed with the back-to-back premiers for next season.

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But if the Bulldogs can produce a more attractive deal and lure Mitchell as a marquee signing for 2021, would the Roosters let him go one year early?

There’s a view they would which could mean Mitchell lining up in Bulldogs colours from the beginning of next season.

It sounds preposterous and you’d have been laughed out of the game if you suggested it at the start of last season but these are some of the conversations now taking place.

Powerful Roosters chairman Nick Politis is rugby league’s best deal broker. Whether it was getting Sonny Bill Williams back into the NRL, Freddy Fittler and Gus Gould from Penrith to the Chooks or the Cooper Cronk masterstroke, Uncle Nick always closes the big ones.

Which is why it’s interesting the Roosters have let Mitchell’s contract go past the November 1 deadline.

Rival clubs are now not only free to talk to Mitchell but can sign and try and register a contract for the star centre for 2021.

Politis is currently overseas on business and has tasked the Roosters new head of football Daniel Anderson with leading the negotiations with Mitchell’s agent Wayde Rushton.

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The Roosters have gone above and beyond in terms of putting a support network around Mitchell to try and ensure he’s happy and focussed.

Negotiations are set to ramp up over the course of the next week once Mitchell finishes his Test match commitments for the Kangaroos against Tonga on Saturday.

It’s a big decision for Latrell.