Hartlepool United manager Lennie Lawrence updates fans on Mani Dieseruvwe and Joe Grey's contract negotiations

Pools have offered new deals to both players, whose current contracts come to an end at the end of this season.

However, neither attacker has put pen to paper on the new terms, although Pools remain confident of keeping their prize assets.

Between them, the pair scored 38 goals last season and while this term hasn't been quite as productive, Dieseruvwe and Grey remain among the club's most important players.

After enduring a difficult start to the season under Darren Sarll that saw him score two goals in his first 12 appearances before losing his place in the side, Dieseruvwe looks to have rediscovered his goalscoring touch.

The 29-year-old came off the bench to score a remarkable hat-trick against Sutton in October, becoming the first ever Pools substitute to score three times in the same game.

Dieseruvwe has scored five times in 12 league appearances under Lawrence, with his overall record this season is 11 goals in 27 games.

Unlike Dieseruvwe, Grey made a fast start to the new campaign, scoring a late winner against Tamworth and a brace against Woking in August.

However, the 21-year-old struggled to maintain those levels and lost his place along with Dieseruvwe as Sarll grappled for a solution to his increasing problems.

Grey looks to be getting back to his best under Lawrence, scoring two headers in the thrilling win over Solihull Moors and curling a superb strike into the top corner against Gateshead on Boxing Day.

Pools fans might be understandably anxious about the prospect of losing two of their star performers but there is no suggestion either Dieseruvwe or Grey are looking to engineer a move away from the Prestige Group Stadium.

Even so, it's clear the pair are waiting to see what develops over the coming months and if there is any interest from the Football League.

Nonetheless, both men appear to remain happy in the North East and Lawrence is hopeful they will put pen to paper on deals to keep them at Pools before their current contracts run out.

"There isn't really any update," he told BBC Radio Tees Sport.

"They're playing, I'm happy with that.

"In the end, the player will decide what they want to do.

"They've been made offers, it comes as no surprise to me that they've turned them down.

"That's not because they don't want to be associated with Hartlepool, not at all.

"Like all players, they want to see who's going to come in, what might happen.

"They're keeping their options open, that's what players these days do.

"That's fine. As long as they're training properly and performing, we'll worry about that further down the line.

"As a club, we've done what we should've done, we've done the right thing.

"We'll just get on with it until the situation resolves itself."

Lawrence is confident that his side's impressive recent form might help persuade Dieseruvwe and Grey to sign new contracts.

Following a difficult start to the campaign, Pools have won five and drawn five of their last 12 league matches to move within three points of the National League play-offs.

And Lawrence believes that the positive mood in the camp and the team's excellent recent run could convince the frontmen to remain in the North East.

He said: "It would be harder to do it if we were five off the bottom.

"It's a good group, there's a good atmosphere around the place.

"We're reasonably confident, although that can be fractured if we lose a few games.

"Hopefully, the environment is conducive to them clearing their heads, playing well, getting through to the end and hopefully signing for us at some stage in the future.

"We'll have to wait and see. What I'm not doing is bombarding them every five minutes.

"Offers have been made, and if the player wishes to respond to the club, then that's fine.

"Other than that, we're just getting on with it."