Peterborough United’s Barry Fry on Posh contracts, six players out of contract on June 30, but none are first-team regulars, permission to keep loan players at London Road until the end of the season has been granted

Players’ contracts usually expire on June 30, but with the 2019-20 season set to travel well beyond that date, there is concern about the continued availability of some players.

Posh have six players out of contract on June 30 this year, but none of them are regular first-team starters. Posh have already secured permission from the parent clubs of their three loan players, Sammie Szmodics (Bristol City), Josh Knight (Leicester City) and Reece Brown (Huddersfield), to keep them until the 2019-20 season ends.

Only centre-back Rhys Bennett and back-up goalkeeper Aaron Chapman of the six players falling out of contract this summer are still with the Posh first-team squad. Posh will try and keep both of them at the club until the current campaign finishes.

The other out-of-contract players are Alex Woodyard, Callum Cooke, Marcus Maddison and Conor O’Malley. Woodyard (Tranmere)mand Maddison (Hull City) are out on loan and have been told they can stay at their current clubs beyond June 30, while Cooke was sent back by Bradford this week.

Posh have options for an extra year on Woodyard and Cooke, but won’t be taking them up.

Goalkeeper O’Malley intends to quit professional football when his existing deal expires and Posh have no plans to keep him beyond June 30.

Fry said: “We are not in a bad position contract-wise. Certainly a lot of clubs are in a far worse position with six or seven regular first-teamers in their last year.

“Rhys and Aaron are our main concerns, but we will try and keep them and I expect them to stay as there won’t be anywhere else for them to go. They are both good professionals so their commitment won’t be in doubt even though I don’t expect them to be here next season.

“Alex, Callum and Marcus can stay where they are and they won’t be returning next season. Conor wants to leave anyway so he is not a problem.

“Normally we have to make contract offers by the third Saturday in May or at the end of play-offs to players who are in their final year, but this year it’s been extended to June 23.

“The manager has asked me to seek contract extensions with some players who will be here next season regardless, but it’s all very much in the air at the moment simply because we don’t know when this season will end and the next one will start.

“There is a big meeting next week with the EFL and the Government when we will know more.”

With the season likely to continue into July the EFL are believed to be proposing one of three options regarding players falling out of contract on June 30.

1) Offer a new playing contract

2) Offer an extension to the current contract that will expire on the midnight of the final day of the season

3) Tell the player that they will not be offered either of the above. These players will be released on June 30th 2020 and free to join another club. However, the EFL is proposing that they will not be eligible for their new club until the start of a new campaign.