Hartlepool United close to securing new deals with two key players following positive contract discussions

The club have recently tied Nicky Featherstone and Gary Liddle down for the upcoming League Two season and at least two more are expected to follow before next week.

Rhys Oates, Jamie Sterry, Ben Killip and Luke Molyneux have all been offered new deals at Pools.

Discussions remain ongoing with Molyneux while the club are hopeful of securing deals for Sterry and Killip within ‘a matter of days’ despite the delays caused by coronavirus.

“I can’t say too much but we’re more or less there with two of them and still hopeful with the other,” manager Dave Challinor told The Mail.

“I’m hoping we’re talking a matter of days to get it sorted. We’re still working in a covid environment so getting contracts to players over email, getting them scanned and signed and sent back is far more difficult than if they were just in the building.

"Some of the players in question have been isolating as well which then becomes almost impossible to get things done quickly. We’ve got to be careful releasing things and saying too much before they are signed and sealed or else we could end up with egg on our face.”

Challinor and some of Pools’ contracted players returned for pre-season training at Maiden Castle on Thursday morning while others stayed at home to self-isolate.

The Hartlepool manager also revealed to The Mail that at least one new face could also be through the door by Monday with his own contract situation ‘taking a back seat' for the time being.

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