SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown is in contract talks with a number of his players.

Brown - whose own deal expires at the end of the current campaign - is keen to keep Blues’ key players at the club.

And the 58-year-old is therefore in discussions with ‘five or six’ or his squad.

“We have some key players out of contract in the summer and we are in talks with them now,” said Brown.

“I don’t think it would be right to reveal who we are talking to. But there are five or six that we are having discussions with and hopefully we can get them to sign before January.”

Defenders Ben Coker and Jason Demetriou are out of contract at the end of the season as is striker Simon Cox. Ryan Leonard, Anthony Wordsworth and Michael Timlin are also in the final year of their deals.