Josh Duhamel Will 'Probably Have Kids Sooner Than Later' with Fiancée Audra Mari: Source

Josh Duhamel, Audra Mari
Josh Duhamel, Audra Mari
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Audra Mari/Instagram Audra Mari and Josh Duhamel

Josh Duhamel is looking forward to expanding his family.

Following the actor's engagement to Audra Mari last weekend, a source tells PEOPLE that the actor "wants more kids and always has so they probably will have kids sooner than later."

"He's not shy about it, but he's felt this way since Axl was very young," adds the insider of Duhamel, who shares 8-year-old son Axl Jack with ex Fergie. "He loves being a father."

Earlier this week, a source close to Mari told PEOPLE that the former Miss World America, 28, would "love to have kids with Josh" and is "getting to know" Axl.

"Josh spends a lot of time with his son," said the source, adding that he is "very protective of Axl" and it "took a while before Audra met him."

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RELATED: Josh Duhamel's Fiancée Audra Mari Would 'Love to Have Kids' with Him, Source Says

The Transformers star has been dating Mari since 2019 following his divorce from Fergie. The "Big Girls Don't Cry" singer filed for divorce in late May 2019, nearly two years after she and Duhamel announced their split in a joint statement obtained by PEOPLE in September 2017.

"With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year," they said. "To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public."

Added the former couple, "We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family."

On Saturday, Duhamel announced the news of their engagement on Instagram with a photo of the couple posing by the beach.

"It's on!! She found a message in a bottle that washed ashore and said YES!! @audramari," the actor captioned the shot of the pair smiling, while he held up a handwritten letter that read: "Audra Diane Mari Will You Marry Me?"

Fergie, 46, celebrated the couple in the comment section, writing, "Congrats!!!💚💚💚💚💚💚."