LA Galaxy taking wait-and-see approach to futures of Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane

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The former Liverpool duo are both out of contract at the end of the 2016 MLS season.

LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena has told MLSSoccer.com that the club will wait until the end of the season before making a decision on the futures of Steven Gerrard and captain Robbie Keane.

The Galaxy currently have all three Designated Players slots filled by Gerrard, Keane and Giovani dos Santos, but only the latter has a contract for 2017.

Gerrard previously suggested back in May that he would be open to extending his stay in MLS rather than hanging up his boots come December to go into coaching, while fellow ex-Liverpool man Keane told Sky Sports during the summer that he was hoping to sign a new deal at the StubHub Center.

However, speaking ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Seattle Sounders, Arena stressed that all parties have put off talks over the future until the conclusion of the 2016 campaign.

“We return one of our DPs in Giovani dos Santos, who is under contract for a number of years,” the Galaxy boss told MLSSoccer.com. “Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard are out of contract at the end of the year, and we’re going to sit down with them and make decisions from that.

“If we have any available spots, we’re certainly going to be aggressive.”

The Galaxy currently sit joint-second in the Western Conference on 48 points going into their final four regular season games and can clinch a playoff spot this weekend with a win over the Sounders.

They also sit just four point behind Conference leaders FC Dallas in the Supporters’ Shield standings with two matches to come against the Texas outfit and, having suffered only four defeats, will equal the MLS record for the fewest regular season defeats if they go unbeaten over the rest of the run-in.

Despite missing time with injuries, Gerrard has managed to establish himself as a key player during the club’s playoff push, recording three goals and 11 assists in the process, while Keane has also battled through fitness issues and international absences to score eight times in 15 appearances.