ESSENDON chief executive Ian Robson believes experienced duo Adam McPhee and Andrew Welsh will recommit to the club as early as next week.

McPhee, 27, and Welsh, 26, are both yet to re-sign and have been reported as unhappy with the contracts put forward by the Bombers to this stage.

"They are both required players and I am confident we will be able to resolve it in a positive manner for both parties, with the circumstances where we currently see ourselves, and that they'll stay Essendon players," Robson told Melbourne radio station SEN on Thursday.

"Matthew Knights and Paul Hamilton together with Adrian Hickmott and Alan Richardson have just been away for a couple of weeks.

"So have Dan Richardson, Welsh's manager, and Paul Connors, Adam's manager, so we haven't been able to get everyone around the table all at once.

"We'll do that early next week and I am confident we will get those issues resolved."

Robson refused to be drawn into discussing the sticking point of the negotiations and said reports regarding the players' discontent were largely "journalistic interpretation and opinion".

"I am committed to them and I want them to stay as Essendon players to complete their career, whenever that might be with the football club," he said.

McPhee has played 167 AFL matches (142 for the Bombers and 25 for Fremantle), while Welsh has tallied 145.

The Bombers are also looking to appoint a new captain following the recent retirement of Matthew Lloyd.

Robson said supporters would not have to wait long to find out who it would be.

"We'll be keen to get a fairly quick resolution on the captaincy but first and foremost, we really want the playing group to get back together and get a sense of how the leadership structure might look moving forward," he said.

"Then, from that leadership structure, I think a new captain will emerge fairly quickly."

The Bombers will start pre-season training with a day-and-a-half of testing from Monday.