Sylvain Distin and Joey Barton are integral to Stuart Pearce's plans

The defender and midfielder are out of contract in the summer of 2007 and have been linked to various clubs but Pearce hopes he can persuade them to stay.

"We want to hold on to our best players and we're speaking with both of them.

"I had a chat with Joey on Tuesday and the same with Sylvain. We think they will be Manchester City players for many years to come," said Pearce.

The pair have been locked in contract negotiations for the past six months.

Distin, 28, moved to the club in a �4m deal from Paris St Germain in May 2002 and has made 163 appearances.

Barton handed in a transfer request in January, which was rejected by the club.

The 23-year-old has made 115 appearances for City, having coming through the ranks at the club.