UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Ipswich Town midfielder Grant Leadbitter
Sign or be sold – Ipswich Town set to adopt tough contract policy
By Stuart Watson
Friday, April 13, 2012
7:00 AM
IPSWICH Town manager Paul Jewell will adopt a tough ‘sign or be sold’ contract policy next season.
The Blues boss saw key duo Gareth McAuley and David Norris walk away on Bosman free transfers at the end of their deals last summer and admits the same thing could soon happen with club captain Grant Leadbitter.
Championship rivals Middlesbrough and Brighton have already been linked with the midfielder, who rejected a contract offer earlier in the campaign and has been locked in ongoing negotiations throughout the second half of the season.
Peterborough United decided to transfer list key duo George Boyd and Paul Taylor recently, deciding it was best to raise some money from their sales rather than risk losing them for nothing in a year’s time.
And that is a route that Jewell says he will now look to go down.
“I don’t want to get into a situation every year where we are having this conversation about contracts at the end of the season,” said Jewell.
“At the start of next season, we will sit down with the lads who have got a year to go, make them offers if we want to keep them and if they don’t accept then maybe we need to sell them. I think Peterborough have done that with a couple of their players recently.
“You’re never going to be able to tie everyone down, but if ‘Player A’ turns down a deal with a year to go then maybe it is best for us that we try and sell him.”
Jewell, who is due to meet owner Marcus Evans next Tuesday to discuss contracts and his summer transfer budget, added: “We’ve made Grant an offer. I spoke with his agent yesterday and I’m going to have a chat with Grant again today (Thursday).
“We need to bottom it out I think. We want him to stay, but if he’s not going to stay we’ll have to make that public.
“There’s a lot of interest in Grant, but we’re in the box seat because he’s already here. I don’t know if he’s spoken to other clubs, but we’re hoping that he’s going to stay with us.”
– See today’s EADT and Ipswich Star for all the latest Blues news.
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10 comments
Shouldnt this read "sign or be let go for nothing"
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KEVIN FRANCIS
Friday, April 13, 2012
Well Mr Jewell if you think that Leadbitter is not going to stay then do as you say and make it public BY NOT SELECTING HIM AGAIN unless he has done well in training of course !!!!!!
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Brian Betts
Friday, April 13, 2012
It really is a further example of insulting the intelligence of the supporters. Can anyone out there defend this sort of idiotic comment from Jewell? It is so bad to be embarassing
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Kevin Bailey
Friday, April 13, 2012
What are the odds of this 'get tough policy' actually extending to what Jewell DOES, rather than just what he jibbers? If he means what he says he will be dropping Leadbitter, Bowyer & Scotland until they decide to commit to our club. More chance of The Postmaster winning the National than Jewell walking the talk...
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I am Spartacus
Friday, April 13, 2012
Sussex Tractor Boy, PJ certainly said the same thing last year but he's only reading from his limited script and something has happened, He's driven more supporters away from PR. !!!!!
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Brian Betts
Friday, April 13, 2012
You say you dont want to be in the same position each year...(on contacts) But it seems that you and Clegg are the ones who put us there each Time. By offering one year contracts when the sensible thing to do in most case's would to be is to give certain players longer contracts. So dont cry Wolf when players who want to stay but they dont feel wanted long term. Over all think of the millions that has been fritted away in the past few seasons....Not many clubs have had that chance and have aceived far greater things then us...Which say to me that the people in charge are not Good enough to take us where we all wish to be. Poor management skills and c.e.o. i believe are to blame for this... I call on Marcus Evans to sort this out or he will find things will only getting worse. Only so much will Ipswich's loyal supporters take..Again mr Evans your call...........
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david bradley
Friday, April 13, 2012
“I don’t want to get into a situation every year where we are having this conversation about contracts at the end of the season,” said Jewell. But isn't that what you said last year Jewell? Strange that he has only had a year to get things sorted and still nothing has happened.
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SussexTractorBoy
Friday, April 13, 2012
Sounds like a 'told you so moment' but lots of people on here have been saying this for a couple of seasons. Either we are modern day Nostradamuses or Jewell is inept. Can;t be both.
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I am Spartacus
Friday, April 13, 2012
Why print this garbage... I doubt it even fools Tom. The only way players will commit to staying is for the club to progress - something five years of decline under the current highly questionable ownership and strategy shows will not occur. That's aside from the rather basic fact that the itinerant players can effectively trouser any fees in wages and bonuses when they sign for a mythical 'free'.
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Rob Steroo
Friday, April 13, 2012
Once again PJ says the right thing. But what’s the betting that we’ll have exactly the same scenario in a years time?
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Mike Rotch
Friday, April 13, 2012