Stoke City chairman Peter Coates has revealed securing the long-term futures of Marko Arnautovic and Erik Pieters tops their list of priorities going into the New Year.
The Potters have overcome their slow start to the season and are now starting to fully understand what Mark Hughes wants with his new-look squad.
Arnautovic, in particular, has flourished in recent weeks and was their hero as they dispatched Manchester City 2-0 a fortnight ago. Both players have about to enter the final 18 months of their current deal and Coates says they’ve already pressed ahead with new deals for the pair.
“Yes, they are contracts we are working on at the moment,” Coates told the Stoke Sentinel.
“We are always aware of these things, of where we want to go with them, and are trying to make sure we get things done in good time.
In just 15 league appearances, Arnautovic has already scored the same amount of goals than he managed in his last two seasons combined for Stoke (5).
For more stats on Marko Arnautovic, click here to visit his WhoScored player page