Albion manager Mark McGhee today insisted the seven players re-signed by Albion have earned new contracts with their Championship performances.

Adam Hinshelwood, Guy Butters, Charlie Oatway, Richard Carpenter and Gary Hart will all still be with the Seagulls next season.

Paul Reid and Michel Kuipers have signed for the next two seasons and Kerry Mayo is poised to commit his future to the club before Saturday's visit to Cardiff.

McGhee said: "I think they have all earned it. I don't think we have re-signed anyone out of sentiment, I wasn't prepared to do that. They have all earned at least another year.

"They have all shown they can contribute at this level. It is going to leave us at the end of the season with the bulk of a squad which we can then go and add to in the summer hopefully in the way we did this summer with Darren Currie and Alexis Nicolas.

"If we can bring in another two or three of the same sort of quality then we will be moving forward.

"Players like Hinsh, Reidy and Virgs (Adam Virgo) will also all have had a season in this league, which is significant. It means they are starting out at a whole different level next year."

Long-serving Mayo is close to putting pen to paper on a new deal until June 2006.

McGhee remains hopeful of persuading Dan Harding and Leon Knight to sign. Decisions have yet to be made about Nathan Jones, Paul Watson and Ben Roberts.