CRAIG Noone, Yannick Bolasie, Karl Duguid and Romain Larrieu are all expected to sign new contracts in the near future to extend their Plymouth Argyle careers, according to Paul Mariner.

The Pilgrims' head coach revealed yesterday that talks about fresh deals for the quartet are well advanced. The four players represent half of the eight players at Home Park whose contracts expire at the end of the current season.

The other four players who are not tied to the Pilgrims beyond the end of June are David McNamee, Gary Sawyer, Yoann Folly and Lloyd Saxton. Duguid is the only one of the eight out-of-contract men who has been a first-team regular under Mariner in recent weeks, although Noone and Bolasie have shone when they have had the chance to aid Argyle's quest to retain Coca-Cola Championship status.

Duguid has started every match which Mariner has taken charge of, either at right-back or on the right side of midfield. Noone and Bolasie are exciting young wingers who could have bright futures at Home Park. The long-serving Larrieu has been Argyle's substitute goalkeeper since David Stockdale was borrowed from Fulham in January, but the Frenchman is still very much wanted by the club.

Mariner, who will take his team to Loftus Road tonight (8pm) for an away game against Queen's Park Rangers, was asked by the Western Morning News yesterday about the contract status of Duguid, Noone and Bolasie. He replied: "We've already had discussions with all three players, and with Romain.

"The talks are advanced, as far as I understand." When the Pilgrims' head coach was asked if he was hoping to have the deals sorted out sooner rather than later, he replied: "Yes."

As for the other four players who do not have deals for next term, Mariner said: "McNamee [an experienced right-back] has been injured a lot, and he's coming back to fitness. Saxton [Argyle's third- choice goalkeeper] is at Crewe training this week. It isn't a loan deal, it's just a change of environment for him."

Sawyer, who has lost his role as the Pilgrims' first-choice left-back recently, declined to accept the terms which were initially put to him by the Devon club earlier this season. Mariner said: "He did turn down the initial offer. We thought the offer was a good one. We're just going to have to wait and see. Watch this space. Let's just leave it at that."

Folly is on loan to League Two club Dagenham & Redbridge, with whom he is hoping to play regular first-team football. The Togo international midfielder has made only 12 starting appearances for the Pilgrims in his two years at Home Park.

"At some point," Folly told the Barking and Dagenham Recorder, "you have to decide whether you want to sit on your backside and get your money, or do you really like football? I just like football, and I just want to play."