Joel Latibeaudiere revealed he wants to extend his stay with Swansea City after admitting he is frustrated his situation is yet to be resolved.
The 23-year-old's contract with the Swans expires in the summer, although he was offered fresh terms earlier in the campaign.
Talks between Latibeaudiere's agent, head coach Russell Martin and the club's owners have been ongoing for several months, with Martin last week stating Swansea are in a position to make a sufficient offer for the ex-Man City youth product.
"I just don't think we can get to a financial position that will keep Ryan (Manning) here. With Joel Latibeaudiere we can and we should. We need to," Martin said after the 3-0 win over Norwich City, a game in which Latibeaudiere netted.
"It's a source of frustration for me at the moment that we haven't got that done. If I was in charge of it, he would have that." And Latibeaudiere believes his representatives have been fair when it comes to what they are asking for in a new deal.
"We've been speaking for a while, it's more my agent, Russell and the people above that are talking," he said. "I try and just stay out of that and stay focused on my game. I really enjoy playing here, I enjoy the football we play, the staff so we just have to stay positive, wait and see what happens, do what I can do on the pitch and hopefully something does come up.
"I know the gaffer has been trying really hard to get things to move faster. He's controlling what he can control. We've had lots of chats together and he knows where I stand.
"One was on the table at the start of the season, we just couldn't come to an agreement. Since then it's just been back and forth talking between my agent and the club. I trust my agent, I'm letting him handle this and me doing my stuff on the pitch.
"I think we're being fair. I back myself and my abilities. I trust my agent to do his job, he's looked after me my whole career."
Latibeaudiere produced one of his best displays in a Swansea shirt last time out as the Swans thrashed Martin's former club Norwich at Carrow Road.
After the triumph over the Canaries, Martin spoke about Latibeaudiere's core values and stated the club could ill-afford to let a player with his qualities - both on and off the pitch - leave for nothing.
And Latibeaudiere revealed he sent the head coach a message to thank him for his words after his mum heard the comments in the press conference clip online.
"I watched it the next day, my mum sent it across to me," the defender said of Martin's post-Norwich press conference. "Because it was such a good win we were just celebrating so I saw it the next day.
"I messaged him and said 'I really appreciate the way you spoke about me and just how you feel about me as a player and a person'. It was great to hear, especially from someone who has played at the top level, captain in the Premier League. He's a great man off the pitch as well, so it was really nice."
Martin himself has regularly spoken about his desire to have his own - along with that of his staff - contract situation resolved one way or another for the greater good of the club.
And Latibeaudiere could not hide his frustration with the lack of conviction at the club at present after stating Martin and his staff fully deserve fresh terms.
When asked if he felt the staff and Martin needed fresh terms, Latibeaudiere responded: "100%. That's very important because at the end of the day, he's the foundation of the way we play."
And on his own contract situation, he said: "I do. I also feel a bit, 'do they not want to give it to me?'. 'How do they see me?'. I know how Russ views me and how the players and staff view me, but at the end of the day, it's not them giving out contracts.
"So there is a sense of frustration but there's also a sense of disappointment as well. But seeing how he (Russ) spoke, it does give me hope.
"The staff, the style of football, it suits me to a tee. I've played the best football of my career here. So it would be disappointing (to leave)."
Swansea head to Hull City this weekend knowing that another three points will guarantee they are mathematically in the hunt to clinch a top six place on the final day of the campaign.
Indeed, the Swans have amassed 19 of the last 21 points on offer to surge back into the top half of the Championship table, and Latibeaudiere admits the squad have perused over the table in recent weeks.
“We have all seen the table, but the mood in the camp is just focus on doing what we need to do – just making sure we finish the season really strongly," he added.
“We go to Hull this weekend, it will be a tough game. Two long away games back to back so the travel will take its toll but we’ve worked in training, we know what we need to do.
“We’ll stick to the game plan and I’m sure if we show up it will be a good result again.”
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