Lee Martin
Paul Jewell’s warning to Lee Martin – sign new deal or risk being sold
By Dave Gooderham
Friday, May 4, 2012
7:54 AM
Lee Martin is to be offered a new long-term deal to stay at Portman Road.
But it will come with a tough message from Paul Jewell as the Town boss prepares to end two years of financial misery for owner Marcus Evans.
Martin, one of Town’s best performers during the second half of the season, will be offered a new deal this summer, but risks being slapped on the transfer list should he not put pen to paper.
Jewell is keen to end the financial wastage caused by David Norris, Gareth McAuley and Grant Leadbitter who cost in the region of £6 million but all departed for nothing after their contracts ran down.
Fed-up with constant questioning about his out-of-contract players, Jewell has committed himself to following the Peterborough United model of selling stars a year before their contracts run out if they refuse to sign a new deal.
That will make the summer negotiations with Martin particularly interesting with the former Manchester United man the first to test the new strategy.
Jewell said: “We will be speaking to Lee’s agent and hopefully we can come to some arrangement so he is an Ipswich Town player for the next three years or so. If not, I don’t want to say Lee Martin will be gone by the end of August, but the message is we would like to sign him.”
Jewell has admitted speaking to Evans about the situation over the last few days in a bid to stop the club losing millions on players running down their contracts.
While he might be happy to let some of the 13 players out of contract next summer leave, one way or another, Jewell added: “The owner has lost a lot of money. He is not moaning about that but from a football point of view, it is a pain in the backside.
“When we have players coming out of contract, if we want them to stay, we will sit down and offer them deals that we think is acceptable and then if they don’t accept a new contract, we have to put them up for sale.”
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11 comments
you right Deg,but the man doesnt know a football from a cricket ball,we need adirector of football to handle contracts etc,somebody who knows the game inside out,&let clegg handle the buisness side,someone who can work with the manager,an ex player comes to mind.(kevin beattie)or someone of his ilk,someone who loves this club and doesnt see it as just an earner.
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scarffy
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Can we start a petition? Only one change needed at Portman Road... And it is??????
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Blue and true since 1962
Friday, May 4, 2012
I have said before that I can not see how The FA are going to Police these new rules regarding finances for football clubs. There will probably be clubs who will flaunt these rules and take risks by offering to pay players top wages in order to increase their chances of promotion. Those clubs who stick to the rules will loose out, due to the fact that they will be picking up the crumbs. Lee Martin’s agent will no doubt be wanting the best deal that he can get for his client. ITFC will probably be offering low end wages and it must be noted, that many of Town’s negotiations to bring in players have frequently fallen down on personal terms? People are asking where is Mr Clegg? It may be a good idea, if he doesn’t turn up for this one.
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NB
Friday, May 4, 2012
Has Simon Clegg already left for his summer holiday already? Maybe his contract has also expired.
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Neil Gedny
Friday, May 4, 2012
Not much of a threat though is it? The onus is on the manager to develop players who believe in him and improve the prospects for players so they want to stay, not leave.
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Rob Steroo
Friday, May 4, 2012
This is one of the things that us apparent moaners have been highlighting for over 16 months. Is it really moaning when finally the club realises it is sound sense?
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I am Spartacus
Friday, May 4, 2012
So we're following the way of the 'Peterborough model' ??????? Well I suppose they did beat us 7-1 !!!!!!!!!!!!! Says it all really.
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Old Timer
Friday, May 4, 2012
Other contracts up at the end of next season are Delaney, Drury, Hyam and (if he signs) Tommy Smith. Two of these have only just been offered deals, so where’s the “Peterborough model” there? Are these to be offered new deals (Delaney?????). Clegg recently said they let contracts run down for players who they consider that “their heart isn’t in it”. If their heart isn’t deemed to be in it why aren’t they sold anyway? We are run by amateurs.
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Pete James
Friday, May 4, 2012
Didn't we hear similar vows about not repeating the contracts fiasco in the season just ended ? If this issue could be resolved as Jewell says it would be a step in the right direction but we have seen too many times what he says is not what we get. It is interesting to note that Jewell says he spoke to ME on this subject and one wonders where CEO Clegg is at this time on this issue. Is he preparing to leave in the summer?
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Brian Betts
Friday, May 4, 2012
Isn't this the job of Simon Clegg?
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Deg
Friday, May 4, 2012
At last some sense in the contract debacle. As soon as a player does not commit it is obvious that he will not be concentrating on helping the team because he will be spending too much attention to dealings with his agent as to where he will be going next.
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bristan
Friday, May 4, 2012