Earlier this year, George Clooney said that fatherhood is not high on his priority list, but a new report claims that the 54-year-old actor is now ready to have children. 

A source told the latest issue of Us Weekly that Clooney and his wife Amal Alamuddin recently decided that it would be the right time to try for a baby.

"Amal isn't taking on extra work at the moment and just continuing with the cases she has," said the source. 

The insider added that the human rights lawyer, 37, hopes to welcome a new addition to their family in London next year, which is right on schedule for the completion of the pair's renovated English countryside home. Another source told the magazine that the building plans include a nursery, and that the couple reportedly hopes to have all the work done by Christmas. 

A third source told Us Weekly that the couple recently visited a fertility center, saying, "This is something they really want."  

The "Ocean's Eleven" star is reportedly looking forward to being a dad, thanks to their friends. Clooney reportedly "loves the relationships his friends have with their kids," an insider told the publication. He is close friends with Rande Gerber and his wife Cindy Crawford, who have two children together. Clooney is also close to Matt Damon, who is a father of four, and Brad Pitt, who has six children with his wife Angelina Jolie. 

The source also said that the actor is ready for this step and thinks that "Amal will be a great mother." 

Clooney and Alamuddin were married in a lavish ceremony in Italy in September 2014. After the actor finished promoting "Tomorrowland" earlier this year, the couple has been seen spending time together and Clooney even brought his wife to his hometown and introduced her to Southern food. The pair was seen enjoying dinner with their parents and actress Ellen Barkin at a restaurant in Lake Como, Italy on Tuesday, July 14.