Hull City manager Shota Arveladze reveals they are already making plans for next season

George Honeyman, Callum Elder, Mallik Wilks, Richie Smallwood, Tom Eaves, Tom Huddlestone, Billy Chadwick, Josh Emmanuel and Matt Ingram are all out of contract in the summer.

All the deals can be automatically extended by 12 months, and in the case of everyone bar Emmanuel and Ingram, the option is the club’s.

Chadwick injured his anterior cruciate ligament in the summer and out of respect for his privacy, the club have said little about the “medical reasons” which saw Emmanuel in hospital late last year. But captain Smallwood, Honeyman and crowd favourite Eaves have been key figures under new manager Arveladze and a hand injury to loanee Nathan Baxter has seen Ingram in goal for the last four matches.

The drawn-out takeover which only saw Acun Ilicali buy the club in January delayed negotiations but they are up and running now.

“We noticed the players who are out of contract and we’ve started negotiating,” confirmed Arveladze. “The club has already called the players, I spoke to some of them and then we’ll go step by step and make decisions together. The best thing will be to come to a solution we’re both happy with. I’m not looking at the financial side, just if they want to stay here and be part of it and I believe that will be the main point and then the second part is agreeing the financial part.

“Sometimes eight of eight stay, sometimes two leave, one – we will see.

“But the negotiations started two or three weeks ago and I know some agents have been over, players have come to me, so that’s where it is.”

Ilicali’s takeover lifted the embargo limiting Hull to free transfers and loans in the summer and four players were signed at the end of January. It would be a big surprise if there was not a more concerted recruitment drive at the end of the season.

Elder returned from injury as a substitute on Tuesday and could again be pressed into service out of position at right-back at Queens Park Rangers tomorrow with the man he replaced, Lewie Coyle, out with a hamstring injury.

Wilks is in training having not yet played for Arveladze but his experience with Coyle could make the Georgian more cautious.

“His comeback was maybe too much having three games in eight days but he’s done it before,” said Arveladze of Coyle.

“Mallik is training with the group. He trained yesterday and looks not bad but he’s been out for weeks. We will see if he is going to be with us on Saturday or not.

“You need to give players a chance. Sometimes you go early or too much.

“Some, even the strong ones, are getting injuries. It’s not easy decisions but we’re still looking at players to be at a level to play 45 minutes, half an hour.”