NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn has started discussions about extending the stays of his loan stars as he prepares for a January of 'wheeler dealing'.

The Exiles have made a superb start to the season to set the pace in League Two after a summer when 11 new players arrived at Rodney Parade.

Seven of them are on loan deals with Swansea defender Brandon Cooper, Swindon attacking midfielder Scott Twine and Bristol City prospects Saikou Janneh and Bradley Webb, a forward and defender respectively, on the books for the season.

County will hope that the recall option is not used for the influential Twine - Flynn would not be drawn on whether the League One Robins have allowed the 21-year-old to play in tomorrow's FA Cup clash with Salford after he did not feature against Leyton Orient last round - while his fellow loanees Jamie Devitt (Blackpool), Jamie Proctor (Rotherham) and Aaron Lewis (Lincoln) are currently only in Newport until January.

South Wales Argus:

"I'm already trying to get things extended and looking at one or two options of what we can do to freshen up or strengthen one or two areas," said Flynn.

"We are already on it and planning as well as we can, we are just waiting on one or two things."

When asked if he will have the financial power to be active in the transfer market, Flynn replied: "I hope so! We will have to wheel and deal, I am sure of that, but let's see where we are in January."

County have eight league games in December before the transfer window opens but first they have an encounter with Salford in the FA Cup tomorrow afternoon.

Progressing would put them in Monday's draw when the Premier League big guns enter the famous competition.

Past exploits have boosted the club coffers and earning another mouth-watering tie could help Flynn bolster his squad.

South Wales Argus:

"The money is important every season. Look back to when we played Leeds and Tottenham and those games cleared debt," he said.

"We are in a better position now because of the cup runs but it's a proud thing for me, the staff and the players that we have been able to provide the club with a lifeline."

It has also meant that the financial situation isn't quite as stark for County as it is for some of their lower league rivals that have been hit hard by the loss of income through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Exiles' board planned for playing behind closed doors until January and Flynn knows that he will still have limitations, even if they beat Salford and get lucky in the draw for round three.

"We've had to tighten our belt in areas, and rightly so because we don't know when the full recovery will happen," he said.

"It's been helped by the Newcastle (Carabao Cup) game being on TV and our careful planning. That's what needed to be done."