Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson says the club will start to look into new contracts for several members of the club's squad in the next few weeks.

Several members of the Black Cats' side, including goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin, top scorer Chris Maguire, as well as Joel Lynch, Alim Ozturk, Duncan Watmore and Tom Flanagan, are all out of contractwith the club at the end of the season.

That would mean those players would be free to leave the club for nothing in the summer if no deal is agreed before then, although it appears Parkinson is reluctant to let that happen.

Explaining why the issue of contracts has yet to be addressed heading into the final few months of the season, and when the club will look to do so, Parkinson told The Chronicle: "We wanted to get the transfer window out of the way and I am pleased it has not closed, because you spend so much time talking to agent, watching games, on your laptop looking at players, meeting after meeting, etc.

"The job now is to integrate the new players into the way we are playing and to get them up to speed in terms of match sharpness.

"But as far as the lads who are out of contract are concerned, I'm sure the chairman and will sit down with me and the rest of the staff in the next few weeks and we will have a discussion."

Luke O'Nien is also out of contract at the Stadium of Light come the end of the current campaign, but it is thought the club will exercise a 12-month option in his deal, securing the versatile 25-year-old's future with the club until the end of next season at least.

The Verdict

This ought to be a welcome relief for those associated with Sunderland.

There are plenty of players who are important to the club who could be available on a free if no deal is agreed in the next few months.

That would be a big loss to the club from both a financial and footballing perspective, so it should encouraging to see that steps are being taken to ensure that does not happen.

Even so, with uncertainty around the club's future both on and off the pitch far from certain, as they compete for promotion to the Championship amidst the backdrop of takeover talks, discussions over new deals for players may well be far from simple.