SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown has opened contract negotiations with a number of his players.

Ten members of the Shrimpers squad have deals that expire at the end of this season.

But Brown has revealed he has now starting talking to players he wants to keep at Roots Hall.

“It’s an ongoing situation with contracts at the moment and I have spoken to four or five players already about them,” said the Blues boss.

“We certainly have some very big players up for renewal in the summer with Michael Timlin, Barry Corr, John White and Will Atkinson among them so it’s certainly something we’re working on.

“Things are nudging along quite nicely where those discussions are concerned and hopefully in the next couple of weeks or so there will be something to announce.

“But the players are asking the right kind of questions about it all so it’s certainly something we need and want to get sorted.”

Brown’s own contract also expires at the end of the season but he insisted there was nothing new to report on his own future.

And he is instead fully focused on taking the Shrimpers back into League One.

“We’re all working towards getting promotion this season and the whole group is very positive about what we’re trying to achieve,” said the 55-year-old.

“Our main focus is on winning promotion and we don’t want a repeat of last season when we were beaten in the play-offs.

“This season we want to make sure we get over the line.”

To help make that happen, Brown is also keen to make at least one new loan signing.

And he remains in talks with a number of clubs in a bid to strengthen his squad.

“We’ve made enquiries and they certainly haven’t fallen on deaf ears,” said Brown.

“The managers have been quite receptive towards allowing these players to leave on loan but now it’s a case of actually talking to our targets themselves and selling them a move to Southend United.”