Carlisle United manager Steven Pressley concedes currently "the indications are that there probably will not be positive outcomes" to negotiations with the Blues’ four out-of-contract players.

Jamie Devitt, Mike Jones, Stefan Scougall, Tom Parkes and Louis Gray have all been offered United deals for the 2019/20 season. And while keeper Gray penned a new one-year contract on Tuesday, Pressley admits it looks unlikely the other four will extend their Carlisle stays at this point.

“There has been absolutely no progress on them at all. There is no real indication that they will stay,” said the United boss. “There has been no real positive negotiations as yet.

"That’s the situation at this moment in time. Things might change over the next week but I’d be lying if I said to you we looked close on any of those, we don’t.

“We are still waiting on a number of them coming back to us and telling us whether it’s a certain no or not.

"But at this moment in time, the indications are that there probably will not be positive outcomes."

Irish playmaker Devitt has been linked with Hearts and Hibernian and, when asked if he was aware if his out-of-contract stars were interesting other clubs, Pressley said: “Yeah, there is interest in some of those and we are aware of that. But we are also aware that David [Holdsworth, director of football] made them offers within our structure and made several of them very good offers.

"If other clubs are prepared to give them significantly more than we can offer, then that’s something we have to accept.

"But the one thing we can offer is a good club. We want to create the right culture but I only want players who want to be here.

"So if they choose to go elsewhere, then I fully respect that and I understand that because players have got to look after their families and their futures. That’s football. But we are a club that are trying to run our ship correctly and there are only certain levels we can go to."

This week, the Cumbrians have signed defenders Jon Mellish and Christie Elliott. At the other end of the pitch, Pressley says he would be interested in re-signing Rotherham frontman Jerry Yates after his successful loan spell last season. Ashley Nadesan, though, is unlikely to return.

“The first thing on the Jerry Yates one is we, obviously, have to respect Rotherham on this because they are his parent club," Pressley said.

"But certainly, if the opportunity arises to sign Jerry Yates, we will be putting our hat in the ring on that one.

"He is a player that forged a great bond with the supporters here, he made a really good impression on the people within the club, and I think he is a striker that fits the profile of what we are looking for. So, 100 per cent, he would be of interest to us.

"Nadesan, we found out probably four to six weeks ago that, if he is to make a move, he wants to move down south. I think he’s been linked with Crawley.

"But the one thing we were made aware of is that his partner was very keen to move back down south.

"So, although he thoroughly enjoyed it here, just the geography wasn’t correct for his next move."

Carlisle have also arranged their first three first-team friendlies against Penrith (July 13), Chester (July 16) and Fleetwood (July 20).