Carlo Ancelotti has no concerns around the contract situations of several of his veteran Real Madrid stars, with Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos all now into the final 12 months of their existing deals.
The transfer window closed on Thursday, leaving Madrid coach Ancelotti with a squad to work with at least until January.
But there remains work to do in the coming months if this hugely successful group is to stay together beyond the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Madrid have a host of players out of contract at the end of the season; some, like Marco Asensio, seem certain to leave, but Benzema, Modric, Kroos and Nacho are all key men.
Benzema is reportedly expected to sign a one-year extension, however, while Modric has done so in each of the past two years.
And Ancelotti sees this approach as sensible, remaining confident these top performers will stay at the Santiago Bernabeu as long as they are wanted.
"There are some players who are in the final year of their contract with the club, but that's not an issue," he said.
Ancelotti added: "You look at Modric, Kroos, Karim, Nacho, these are players who want to stay here until they finish their careers, sometimes signing one-year contracts.
"I don't think having a player in the final year of his contract is an issue.
"There are a lot of clubs who have players in their final year of contract, because you've got to look at the economy of a club and how clubs are run.
"That's why now we're seeing more players reach their final year of contract.
"Look at our veteran players and what we do with them, bringing in their contracts on a yearly basis."
Airdrie defeat leaves Morton rock bottom
Morton slipped to the bottom of the Scottish Championship after a 1-0 home defeat to Airdrie extended their winless streak to six matches.
Home midfielder Robbie Muirhead curled an effort against the post in the 27th minute.
But Airdrie went ahead five minutes later when Lewis McGregor drilled home at the near post.
The visitors thought they had sealed the win with 14 minutes remaining, only for Calum Gallagher’s effort to be ruled out for offside.
Swansea run out convincing winners in Championship clash at Millwall
Swansea made it back-to-back Championship wins as they ran out convincing 3-0 winners at Millwall.
The Welsh club had taken just two points from a possible 21 in a torrid seven-game winless run in the English second tier with head coach Michael Duff beginning to feel the heat.
But they collected all three points in south London with goals from Jamal Lowe, Matt Grimes and Mykola Kukharevych on target.
The first major chance fell to Millwall in the 17th minute, but Swansea goalkeeper Carl Rushworth kept out Duncan Watmore’s effort after the attacker had played a one-two with Kevin Nisbet to race goalwards.
Swansea struggled to create in the opening stages but took the lead in the 23rd minute. Referee John Busby failed to spot a shirt pull by Jake Cooper inside the penalty area on Jerry Yates but was alerted to the infringement by his assistant.
Lowe produced a stuttering run-up before sending Bartosz Bialkowski the wrong way with the resulting penalty to end the hosts’ hopes of a third-straight clean sheet as he scored in successive matches.
Lowe went close to a second before the half-hour mark as he latched on to an excellent crossfield pass by Ben Cabango, only for Bialkowski to claw away the attempt.
Lions boss Gary Rowett had already ditched his three-man central defence during a lacklustre opening 45 minutes and made a double change at the break, bringing on Romain Esse and Joe Bryan for Ryan Longman and Brooke Norton-Cuffy as he tried to spark more life into the hosts – instead they went 2-0 down after 57 minutes.
Some neat interplay offered an inviting opening for skipper Grimes and his 20-yard strike squeezed under Bialkowski.
Millwall had chances to reduce the deficit, but Watmore produced a tame effort from five yards out after Nisbet had bulldozed past Harry Darling.
Swansea goalkeeper Carl Rushworth tipped over a long-distance effort by Ryan Leonard and then produced a point-blank stop from Nisbet – the ball striking him flush in the face.
Home fans vented their anger at Rowett after Swansea scored a third in the 80th minute, Kukharevych headed home Josh Key’s cross from the right of the penalty area.
It sealed the visitors’ first victory on the road since a 3-0 success at Norwich in April.
Cardwell at the double as Southend hit back to draw at Rochdale
Harry Cardwell struck twice for Southend as they fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Rochdale.
Jimmy Keohane fired home a rebound to give Rochdale an early lead and Kairo Mitchell headed them 2-0 up, with Jesurun Uchegbulam prominent in the build-up to both goals.
Southend reduced the deficit through Cardwell’s header before the interval and the forward hauled the Shrimpers level with his ninth league goal of the season, heading home Jack Wood’s cross in the 64th minute.
The impressive Uchegbulam’s fierce effort was well saved by visiting goalkeeper David Martin as Southend, deducted 10 points at the start of the season for breaching financial rules, remain second from bottom in the National League.
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