Steve Bruce insists that the uncertain futures hanging over some of his players is not affecting the dressing room atmosphere at Newcastle United.
Both Matty and Sean Longstaff are still to come to an agreement on new deals despite entering talks last year while Federico Fernandez and Isaac Hayden are also to agree new terms despite suggestions of new contract extensions.
When asked if it was a factor behind the scenes, particularly with the Longstaff brothers, Bruce said: "There’s no uncertainty in the air (over contracts). I think it’s normal.
"We’ve just come out of the January window and we’ve now got three or four months to start talking, which already has happened.
"There’s no real sense of urgency at all. Of course the big one is young Matty, but we’ll keep trying and plugging away."
Longstaff can leave in the summer for just £400,000 and there is believed to be one reputable European club waiting to offer him a deal.
Sean Longstaff was handed a start ahead of Hayden, Bruce said: "I just think Sean picked himself from his performance against Oxford.
"Bentaleb has played well in the games we’ve played so I just thought why not."
Bruce was asked if about the way his team capitulated.
He said: "None of us at half-time would have seen that.
"We knew Arsenal would come with more intensity in the second half, and we’ve given a poor goal away.
"It was a big floated ball into the box, and for Aubameyang to have a free header is poor.
"We’ll have to do those basics again, the basics of how we’ve been all season.
"But in the first half in particular, I was pleased with the way we played."
