MORTON manager Dougie Imrie says offers are on the table for the players he wants to keep at the club as he looks to hold onto the nucleus of his squad for next season.

With 10 players out of contract and loan deals expiring, Imrie is hopeful of keeping the majority of them for next season.

The Ton boss admits he is doing all he can in an attempt to persuade his key players to remain at Cappielow.

He told the Tele: "There have been boys offered new deals.

"Whether they sign them is another matter.

"We will need to wait and see what the response is from them, and if not then we have a massive job on our hands to get players to the club."

Imrie made eight changes to his side as they went down 3-0 to Arbroath in the final game of the season.

The 38-year-old says he based his team selection on the options he will definitely have at his disposal next season

He said: "It wasn’t a new-look side. That is what is signed for next season.

"They are the players who are going to be here.

"Obviously we need to add to that. I have players who have been offered new deals.

"It will be up to them whether they sign them. I am trying my best to try and get them to sign on the dotted line.

"They might have other offers, so we just need to wait and see, but at the moment things are hopefully promising.

"Until they sign, they will be free agents come the middle of June."

With safety already secured, the Ton ended their campaign at Gayfield with three defeats in a row.

Despite ending the season on a negative note, the manager found it difficult to criticise his players after guiding the club to safety after being rock bottom of the table when he took charge.

He said: "It has been disappointing to lose the last three games, but I have got to give humongous credit to my boys, I am really proud of what they have achieved since I came in in December.

"The goal was to stay up, and we managed to do that with a game to spare and finish seventh.

"If you had said when I came in that is where the club would finish, I think the majority of people would have bit your hand off, so from my part immensely proud of what we have achieved but bitterly disappointed to lose the last three games."

Imrie praised his backroom team for the part they played in keeping the club in the Championship.

He said: "I am immensely proud.

"I have to give a lot of credit to Andy Millen and Davie Scott. Without them and obviously the players as well, it could never have been achieved.

"It has been a collective effort, we have all dug in and got ourselves over the line.

"The first two months were massive. The seven-game unbeaten run, we gained a lot of points in those first two months.

"When we did lose a game, we managed to bounce straight back and win the next game, which put us back in good momentum, so overall I'm really proud of what has been achieved."