Nigel Clough in contract talks with Mansfield Town this week as chase begins for new quality players

Clough is hoping to stay on for another season after achieving League One safety and confirmed he has already begun discussions with five or six higher quality players he wants to bring in.

“We are having a good chat at the moment and I don't think we are far off in terms of things,” he said,

“I think the chairman is coming in this week so I will hopefully get to sit down with him.

“It is ongoing and I think it's quite positive.

“We just need a good chat about the best way to move forward and improve from here, whether that is the facilities at the RH Academy, pitches – things like that, the playing squad.

“It is the big picture. It won't come down to money. No one is being greedy or demanding this and that. It will be about the bigger picture and how we can move forward.

“Yes of course I want to stay here. But we want to keep moving forward.

“We said we wanted to make progress here and we want to keep doing that.”

Stags go into the last two home games safe at last but Clough wants to avoid another nervous end to a campaign next time around.

“We don't want to be in this position if we can help it next year,” he said.

“It will still be unbelievably tough to stay in this league. But we want to improve so we can have a little more breathing space.

“I have not made my mind up on the retained list 100 per cent as yet. That will be part of the discussions going on this week and we can get ahead of things by a week.

“Some decisions I have made certainly, but not everybody yet.

“Everyone still has a point to prove whether they are staying here or going somewhere else.

“How many we bring in will depend on how many we keep and on the injuries to those out long term.

“We think six or seven really good quality players and a bit of help off the pitch with facilities and everything to ensure the club keeps moving forward.”

He continued: “We don't envisage asking the chairman for millions to spend in the transfer market – we have never done that. We just want to improve the squad.

“I think it will naturally happen that we will go for a younger squad as it evolves over a couple of seasons.

“We wanted to keep the nucleus together this year as we thought it was our best chance of staying in the league. They have done that.

“But some of the players are getting on a little bit so the squad will naturally be a bit younger next year.”

Clough has already put the wheels in motion on new players, despite not knowing for certain if he will still be at the club.

“We still go ahead and try to do the best for the club that we can whether we are going to be here or not,” he said.

“You have to do a certain amount of that, which we have always done. It goes hand in hand.

“We have been identifying players for the last six to 12 months, and even before that – players you like that you don't have the opportunity to sign at a certain point in time.

“We have made contact with five or six already and discussions are ongoing.”

Stags this week go into their final two home games against Peterborough United (Wednesday) and Exeter City (Saturday) on the back of a 4-0 footballing lesson at champions Birmingham City last weekend, though Reading's earlier win at Bristol Rovers had already ensured Stags' safety.

“It showed the big gulf between the two clubs as you would expect. And we were going into it with half a team, if that,” sid Clough.

“The quality Birmingham possess was there for everyone to see.

“We missed two very good chances before they scored and didn't put one away.

“We have played eight ex-Premier League clubs this season – that is the sort of competition we have been up against in our first season at this level for 20-odd years and we have managed to survive.

“So it's massive congratulations to everybody at the club.

“Getting into the league was hard enough – we went close for two or three seasons.

“But because of the strength of the league with teams like Birmingham in it I think surviving in it is a bigger achievement this season. There were a lot of challenges.

“We had a fantastic first half of the season but the club have had a lot of challenges since January.

“We have not performed and got the points we should have done, but we have got enough over 44 games.

“It's over the course of a season and it doesn't matter when you get the points – you can get them in the first three months or the last three months as long as you get them.

“The biggest challenge has been injuries – a problem we've faced over the last two or three seasons as well but more difficult at this level with this standard.

“We have lost key players at key times, including our leading scorer Lee Gregory before Christmas.

“And we have lost too many games by the odd goal. We have to defend better and that is something we must improve for next season in all areas.”

Stags have enjoyed fantastic support home and away and Clough said: “The supporters have been brilliant. Most of them have enjoyed it I hope.

“We have still tried to entertain and go forward, even though it was the next league up – too much sometimes to our own detriment.

“But their support home and away is one of the main reasons we survived in the league.

“When we have had bad times and struggled they stuck with us and that has been absolutely vital in staying up.

“Let's now look forward to another season in League One.”