McNaughton and Whitingham's current Cardiff deals expire in 2011
Cardiff City have opened contract talks with Championship top-scorer Peter Whittingham after agreeing a new deal with defender Kevin McNaughton.
Scottish full-back McNaughton, whose current contract was due to expire next summer, has agreed a new three-year deal at the Cardiff City Stadium.
And now chief executive Gethin Jenkins has begun negotiations with Whittingham as his contract runs out in 12 months.
The Bluebirds rejected a summer bid for 25-goal Whittingham from Burnley.
And fellow Championship rivals Nottingham Forest have also enquired about the 25-year-old £2m-rated winger in the close-season.
But Dave Jones is determined to hang onto Whittingham, the Championship's joint top-scorer last season, as the former England under-21 international is one of his star players so is also set to be offered a new three-year deal.
We are looking at some of the players who are set to be out of contract next year
Cardiff City manager Dave Jones
Cardiff boss Jones is also unable to sign reinforcements due to the transfer embargo placed on the club by the Football League for failing to lodge end of year accounts and continuing concerns over unpaid tax bills to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
But he has been able to tie versatile defender McNaughton, who joined the club in the summer of 2006, down to a new deal - and the contract is expected to be signed before their Championship opener at home against Sheffield United on 8 August.
Cardiff lost Wales midfielder Joe Ledley on a free transfer to Celtic in the summer and have only signed two players as goalkeeper Tom Heaton and on-loan midfielder Danny Drinkwater have joined from Manchester United.
But neither have been officially registered with the Football League due to be ongoing transfer embargo imposed on Cardiff.
And as Cardiff seek to recover from the heartbreak of missing out on Premier League promotion after losing last season's Championship play-off final to Blackpool, the club want a double contract boost.
McNaughton and Whittingham are two of eight Cardiff players whose deals are due to expire in the summer of 2011.
The Cardiff contracts of striker Jay Bothroyd, midfield trio Stephen McPhail, Gavin Rae and Chris Burke and defensive duo Adam Matthews and Darcy Blake are all due to run out in 12 months time.
"We are looking at some of the players who are set to be out of contract next year," said Jones.
"And once we can clear some of the hurdles we face and get some new bodies in, we can continue to speak with our players.
"Already Kevin McNaughton has agreed to sign a new deal which is positive news."
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