John Brooks' future at Hertha Berlin is very much in doubt. The club would like to sign the United States defender to a new contract and hope to do so before Christmas, but if they cannot then they will explore selling him, according to Kicker.
Brooks' current contract expires in the summer of 2017 so it makes sense that Hertha would be trying to get him on a new deal. If he gets to the summer on this contract then Hertha would have to either sell him on the cheap -- because they would have no leverage with him a year from leaving on a free -- or give him the chance to play out his contract then get no transfer fee should he leave.