Newcastle agree short-term contract extensions for six players

Steve Bruce has confirmed that six players have agreed short-term extensions to their existing deals in order to play until the end of the season.

With games set to go on until the end of July - and potentially into August if FA Cup hopes stay alive - Bruce would have been in danger of a depleted squad had some players decided to quit on June 30.

But Andy Carroll and Javier Manquillo. all out of contract on at the end of the month, have now extended their stay until at least the end of the 2019/20 season.

And Inter Milan's Valentino Lazaro, Schalke 04's Nabil Bentaleb and Tottenham's Danny Rose will also play the last nine games of the season if selected.

United remain in talks to extend Matty Longstaff's contract, but the youngster is clear to play in July if needed.

Bruce said: "All our lads, including the loan players and out-of-contract players, have verbally agreed to stay on and play to the end of the season, which is obviously a good thing.

"With the out-of-contract players, the club are in discussion with them at the moment.

“There’s been a lot of dialogue with the Premier League and what we’re going to do with out-of-contract players, and what they decided to do was grant an extension to the end of the season."