This works in much the same way as when you are offering a player a contract to sign for your club, with the key difference that, if talks break down, you'll still have the services of the player until his agreement expires.

At the start of the season you'll be notified in the news that some of your players are in the final year of their contract. It pays to tie up a deal for those you wish to keep as soon as possible, to avoid the prospect of a valuable playing asset being released from the club without you receiving a transfer fee.

Similarly, if you have a player you are desperate to keep a hold of, it might be wise to offer him a deal before big teams get wind of his ability or he becomes keen to move away from the club.

The player or his agent will indicate the terms they expect to be met as a minimum, and from there it's your call as to the offer you make. Depending on the squad status you are intending the player to have, your board may increase or decrease the available wage accordingly - they'll likely be willing to pay more to a key player. Set his weekly wage to something you can afford and the player will like, and attempt to set a contract length both parties can agree to. If you feel the player may need a little 'sweetener' of sorts to sign ahead of other clubs who may be interested, perhaps offer a Signing-On Fee or some attractive bonuses. The player may already be demanding these, so see what you can afford to match and when you're happy, click 'Suggest Terms' to the player. He will indicate his stance, allowing you to either click 'Confirm Deal' to formally submit the offer, or to re-negotiate the terms to something he finds more favourable.

You may also wish to increase the fee heading towards the Agent as part of the negotiations in an attempt to sweeten any potential deal and secure the player's signature. Some agents will kick up a fuss about the fee they're receiving, but others, particularly those with whom you have developed a positive relationship, will be less concerned by their bonus.

If you wish to see the player's Original Demands or his Original Contract, use the radio option buttons at the top of the contract offer panel to switch back and forth in order to reference the numbers you're working with.

Some players will be harder to deal with than others - you can occasionally gain an insight into their mentality from the way they go about asking for terms on the Contract Offer screen - some will demand, some will require. It may also be worth checking out a player's media history and his personality ahead of negotiations to fully prepare for what you're going to be dealing with. Good preparation will allow contract talks to go a little more smoothly.