Aberdeen will step up their efforts to keep Charlie Mulgrew and Richard Foster at the club in the next week when both players’ agents visit Pittodrie for contract talks.
Foster’s agent is due to meet director of football Willie Miller today while Mulgrew’s agent Kevin Drinkell is due at the club next week for further talks aimed at keeping the left back at Pittodrie beyond the summer.
Both players are out of contract at the end of the season and Mulgrew has already turned down two offers from Aberdeen.
Dons manager Mark McGhee is compiling a list of players he believes can replace his out of contract players – Gary McDonald, Lee Miller, Mark Kerr, Mulgrew and Foster – in case any of them decide to move on.
He said: “Contract talks are ongoing.
“We are meeting again on Thursday with Richard Foster’s agent and Charlie Mulgrew’s agent is coming up next week for a meeting too.
“It is out of our hands and we can only offer what we can.
“If someone betters our offer then we have to ensure we have a list of players who could be potential replacements, and that is what we are trying to do.
“If a certain player does not re-sign we need to have two or three alternatives we can go for.”
Retaining his two full backs, who played as emergency central defenders to great effect against Rangers on Saturday, is McGhee’s priority and he admits both have impressed him greatly in recent weeks.
He said: “People would be tempted to used Charlie as a centre half but I see him as a great asset at left back.
“If he could take his defensive display from Saturday into the left back position then he would have it all in that position.
“We’ve not played him in central midfield yet, but we would have done that had the central defenders not been injured.
“Foster is another one who can play in several positions.
“Lee Miller has been chasing him in the last few weeks, but for the last six weeks Foster has been consistently our best player.”
Efforts to get young players Fraser Fyvie and Michael Paton secured on longer term deals are also continuing as the Dons manager steps up his efforts to shape his squad.
He said: “The players are getting more confident with each passing game, but in terms of our development I hope out of 10 we are only a three at the moment.
“There are three areas we are working on at the club. The young players need time and encouragement to get towards the 10 mark and the senior players are also trying to prove themselves capable.
“We also need the extra players who will come in during the next three transfer windows to enable us to do that.
“There will be the occasional bonus which comes along, but it is important we use any surplus from players who move on and replace them with equal or better players.”