Matt Healy is training with another club as he decides on his future but Liam Buckley hopes to keep him and Ruairi Keating at Cork City beyond the end of this season.
Healy, whose midfield performances on loan last season helped City to win promotion, is currently out of contract having been released by Ipswich Town last month.
The 21-year-old's second loan spell with the Leesiders expired on June 30 and, while talks have taken place on a deal, City's sporting director Buckley admits he doesn't know if Healy will stay.
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"I know he’s away at the minute," said Buckley. "I’m not sure if he’ll get fixed up. He enjoyed Cork and there’s a chance he may stay. It depends what he’s offered.
"He’s training at another club so we’ll see. I don’t know how that will work. He’s settled in Cork and I know there’s more in him from a playing point of view. If he stayed, it would be good for him."
Meanwhile, Keating scored a 93rd minute equaliser for Cork at second placed St Pat's last Friday night and Buckley will be hopeful of retaining his services beyond his current deal that ends in November.
"He’s here until the end of the season at least," said Buckley. "Everything is a work in progress. We’re not just sitting in the office.
"We are proactively working on our group and the outside to see where we can strengthen because we want to try to make us better.
"In fairness to him, he’s very good. Once the team gets better, there’ll be more in him. Having played up front, you need your team to be playing well to do well.
"He’s got a lot going for him. Hopefully we can improve the team and he’ll definitely get his fair share of goals.
"Ultimately the bottom line is we need to get points. I still feel there will be two of three teams in the mix at the bottom end, including us, so this was an important point.
"Other teams will have to come to Richmond Park - I know how difficult it is against St Pat’s.
"If you’d asked me at the start if I would take a point, I probably would have. As long as the lads keep working hard we can improve."
New City keeper Tiernan Brooks suffered a foot injury in the 1-1 draw and came off in the 55th minute. Hopefully it’s not too serious because he’s providing competition for Jimmy (Corcoran)," added Buckley.
