COLLINGWOOD views Geelong trade target Nathan Kreuger as a forward, meaning there's no guarantee of a new deal for out-of-contract Mason Cox, says Magpies football manager Graham Wright.

Wright told Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio on Thursday he had spoken with Geelong about 22-year-old Kreuger and was hopeful a deal would get done.

He said the Magpies saw Kreuger as a forward, rather than defender where he played his two senior games for the Cats.

"He's 196(cm), he's got speed, he's someone that competes really well and for us it was an area of need," Wright said.

"We feel he can come in and potentially play a role there."

That leaves out-of-contract Cox in an awkward spot after playing just seven of his 76 career games in 2021 and falling out of favour.

Wright said Collingwood would have to get through the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period before deciding on Cox's future.

"I think he'd like to (stay at Collingwood), but like everyone else, he wants to play," he said.

"He doesn't just want to be a back-up.

"I think he's open-minded about being with us, and in a perfect world he'd like to be with us, but he wants to play as well."

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As reported by AFL.com.au, Cox is one of eight Magpies out of contract, with Scott Pendlebury and Isaac Chugg expecting to extend soon, while Cox, Brayden Sier, Josh Thomas, Jay Rantall, Max Lynch and Jack Madgen all remain in limbo.

Wright confirmed their interest in utility Patrick Lipinski but said he hadn't spoken to the Western Bulldogs about what a trade would look like.