NEWCASTLE UNITED may have reached stalemate in contract negotiations with influential midfielders Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan, but yesterday the club moved to grant extensions to two of the club’s rising stars.

It emerged over the weekend that talks had broken down between the club and representatives of United skipper Nolan.

The goalscoring midfielder, who netted 12 goals in the Magpies’ return to the top flight last term, has rejected the terms offered by the club’s hierarchy and is believed to be unhappy with how the meeting worked out.

Nolan still has two years remaining on his contract, but manager Alan Pardew is keen to sign his captain on a longer deal as he attempts to stabilise the club after a couple of fluctuating seasons on Tyneside.

Contract talks are not dead, but it would come as no surprise if Newcastle allowed the saga to drag on into next season.

Likewise, Pardew wants to keep Barton. The midfielder has made it known he wants to stay on Tyneside, but last week revealed, via the social networking site Twitter, that the club’s bosses want to replace him with a younger, better and cheaper player.

Barton says he would be happy to take a pay cut, but wanted a five-year contract as a compromise. The stumbling block for both Barton and Nolan is that the pair are both 28-years-old and, should they sign a long-term deal, they would not command a transfer fee at the end of that deal.

Owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias have made no secret they are only interested in signing players under the age of 25 with a sell-on value.

But youngsters Michael Richardson and Ryan Donaldson do fit the Newcastle model and have been offered extensions to their current deals.

Donaldson was a regular in the reserves before he was sent out on loan at Hartlepool earlier this year. The versatile 20-year-old midfielder-cumstriker played 12 times for Pools before being recalled by Pardew to answer an injury crisis.

Richardson signed a one year contract last summer after he was spotted playing for Walker Central, while working as an apprentice electrician for Newcastle City Council.

The 19-year-old’s performances for Newcastle’s second XI saw him rewarded with a place on the bench for United’s Premier League contest at Craven Cottage, Fulham.

But while Donaldson and Richardson have been granted a new deal, the club confirmed Aaron Spear, Patrick McLaughlin, Dan Leadbitter and Matthew Grieve have all been released.