Burton Albion are still in contract negotiations with Tom Naylor, Hope Akpan and Lloyd Dyer - but Nigel Clough is hopeful of getting Jake Buxton signed up soon.
While Damien McCrory and Harry Campbell have pledged their futures to Albion with new deals, there are still four out-of-contract players that Clough is keen to keep at the Pirelli Stadium.
The Brewers boss was due to meet captain Buxton on Tuesday about extending the centre-back's second spell with the club.
Decisions from Naylor, Akpan and Dyer - all key performers for spells last season - are likely to take longer, though.
"We are still in talks with them," said Clough.
"Jake Buxton I am meeting with (on Tuesday), so we would hope to get Jake sorted out.
"The other three, we are just in negotiations with at the moment.
"I spoke to Hope last week, Tom Naylor has been away and Lloyd has been away.
"We'll pick that up again this week."
Burton Albion transfer news
Last summer, the majority of the Albion players offered new deals signed up within a few weeks of the end of the campaign, as they prepared for a second Championship season.
But following relegation to League One, Clough is not surprised that things are taking longer for some this time around.
"Yes, with getting relegated, because players are going to wait and see what's out there," he added.
"We just hope, and we've said what we are saying to them is, 'just please try to give us a year'.
"Let's try to keep the squad together as much as we can and have a go at trying to get back up.
"If they get massively different financial offers, there's nothing we can do.
"But if they are there and thereabouts and not far off, they might just think, 'I'd have to move here, I'd have to move there'.
"And by the time you factor in all those sorts of costs and inconvenience, they might say, 'I'll give it a year'.
"So we will see with those three."
