Out-of-contract midfielder Grant Leadbitter says he’d like to stay with Town but admits that at the moment his situation is up in the air. Boss Paul Jewell has said he plans to talk to the 26-year-old former Sunderland man about his future in the next few days.

Speaking after Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough, Leadbitter said: “I would like to stay at Ipswich — I have never said I wanted to leave. But at the moment, I don’t know what is going to happen.”

Having joined the Blues from Premier League Sunderland for £2.65 million in the summer of 2009, the former England U21 international is likely to have to take a pay cut to stay at Portman Road with the Financial Fair Play rules coming in next season.

Most other Championship clubs are also likely to be offering reduced wages this summer for the same reason, although sides recently relegated from the Premier League with parachute payments - and of course anyone still in the top flight who might show interest - will be in a stronger financial position.

Photo: Action Images

bluekeen added 09:08 - Mar 29 YESSSSSS>>>. TAKE THE PAYCUT SIGN THE FORMS AND CONTINUE TO PLAY LIKE A HERO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
0

Gazelle added 09:10 - Mar 29 On present form definitely worth keeping.
0

hampstead_blue added 09:11 - Mar 29 This type of statement is annoying. 'I'd like to stay (but only if you pay me loads of money and break the wage structure)' This is fluff and hot air. Sign or go.
0

itfc1981 added 09:13 - Mar 29 Norris said the same last year, bye bye.
0

brian_a_mul added 09:16 - Mar 29 A hero???!! more like a mercenary. Dont forget only a few weeks ago he was dropped from first team. This time last season Porthsmouth (w/ Norris) and a few other clubs were sniffing around offering better pay. Thats not the case now and I think he realises he must earn a new contract. In fairness he has stepped up his game lately buts its taken him over 2 years. I am undecided over Leadbitter. I hope he doesnt prove to be a mercenary. The club gave him captaincy so I'm sure they know more of what goes on than we do. If the club offer him a new contract I will support Grant in the ITFC shirt, if not than we have other good players who want to play. Life moves on!

0

muhrensleftfoot added 09:17 - Mar 29 Amazing that we spent a load of money bringing him here, and paid him a big fat wage, then finally at the end of his contract, he suddenly starts to look like the player he should be. Is that a coincidence. i think not
0

alfromcol added 09:17 - Mar 29 Action replay of the Norris saga, probably won't go to Portsmouth though!
0

rosseden added 09:21 - Mar 29 Can't see anyone who goes down wanting him. Wolves will keep most their squad. Wigan play the wrong style to take GL. .qpr he's not glam enough. Who else with deep pockets needs a GL.
0

Marshalls_Mullet added 09:22 - Mar 29 Paycut?!?!? Remind me how much he is contracted to earn next season? ....Ah yes, nothing!! The idea of a paycut is misleading, and his reputation is not what it was 3 years ago when he was stepping down from the Prem. His market value in terms of wages will be less than what he currently earns. Hard facts of life.
0

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 09:27 - Mar 29 Im not sure he is a 'mercenary'. I have had a feeling he would re-sign. Time will tell. If he is doing a Norris then we dont want him anyway , and we certainly shouldnt break any reduced wage scale we now have. Hope he commits like Edwards and hopefully Scotland to reduced terms and carries on playing as he has been, cos he looks like a new player at the minute.

0

metalhead added 09:28 - Mar 29 For those of you that are complaining at GL's quote, suggesting he's waiting for the best deal he can get... Yes it seems disapointing to us because we love ITFC, but to him its just a job, and I'm sure most of us would want to 'hold out' for the best deal for our daily job too. That doesn't mean we don't like our jobs. I sure the majority of us want our employers to pay us more than they do..

0

MintyHalfWit added 09:40 - Mar 29 You have to wonder why Leadbitter came to Ipswich. He must have been dazzled by Keano and persuaded by the Irishman's blarney. Why else would a fine, young player take the major decision to step down a division into the uncertainty of events at Portman Road? He played well when he came and was a fixture in the team. But he is a quiet, introverted man, who was not well managed, first by Keano, then by Jewell. His form deserted him. Making him captain was a misjudgement. Captains don't declare things over at half-time. He does not fit at Ipswich and should move on, to a club that has more ability to understand him and bring out the best in him. He is a very good player, who will flourish in the right circumstances.

0

itfc1981 added 09:49 - Mar 29 Well done Clegg for avoiding this situation once again.
0

Blue041273 added 10:02 - Mar 29 My, why is it that lavishly paid footballers provoke such cynicism. Of course he wants to stay, he never said he wanted to leave, he doesn't know what's going to happen. Of course we also know that like anyone else in any walk of life he will go to work for whoever provides him with the best overall package. We know that loyalty to the badge will be fairly low on his list of priorities. What we have here is a standoff with GL cranking up the volume in justification of his desire for an improved offer from the club. Does he deserve it? Maybe, maybe not. What is hard to stomach is the fact that this statement coming at this gives an impression that there may be the possibility of negotiation although the obvious conclusion is that he will stay only if he doesn't get a better offer from someone else.

0

Vizslaraner added 10:25 - Mar 29 I am his biggest critic, but in saying that his form of late has been good. Why has it taken this long to do it week in week out showing what he can do when he puts his mind to it! However, this upturn in form is due to him wanting a contract elewhere - he won't sign for us! It smacks of Norris all over again. Until recently his attitude and effort has been shocking! Personally, I hope he leaves as I'm positive he doesn't want to be here and we need committed players! If he produced his current level of form then he would be worth keeping but he needs to encourage someone else to pay him what he wants as he knows he won't be getting it here - bye bye

0

Tractorog added 10:29 - Mar 29 i have been a Clegg critic, but with the fair play rules coming in his actions over the last 2 years have been sensible. We are just not offering the wages and so not signing players... whilst there are Portsmouths out there offering the wages and going bust we will lose out, but in the long run football wins. I can't remember who but in Scotland there was a team knocked out of the cup by Hearts by a striker who chose Hearts over them in the summer because Hearts offered bigger wages. Hearts then go bust and stop paying players wages yet the sesnible team get penalised by fate and this striker scoring against them. I hope that made some kind of sense?

0

Monarch_Blue added 10:42 - Mar 29 There appears to be a load of sanctimonious old tosh be posted on here. Leadbitter is a professional, has a responsibility to his family to provide them with the best standing of living he can. Clegg / Jewell will make him an offer on the basis of what they think he's worth / can afford. If another club thinks he is worth more, and can afford to pay him that, then it's business.....and good luck to him. It will be interesting to learn from any of those sanctimonious dullards that posted earlier, how they would react if they were placed in similar circumstances. Imagine if their boss came up to them, telling them that they were doing a good job, but if they wanted to stay they would have to accept a pay cut? If there wasn't anything else on offer then they might accept, but if another business were hiring for more money, then why wouldn't they go? It's nothing to do with loyalty, it's their livelyhoods.

0

KenDubZ added 10:52 - Mar 29 If I was Grant I would be happy to stay for what he's on maybe with a 5-10% goal bonus. He's nearly at the age where he will peak and he's been playing amazing!! And he deserves some credit for that!
0

jas0999 added 11:18 - Mar 29 Sounds like Norris all over again! The fact is ITFC have for a while now been completely incapable of effectively dealing with these things. It's not PJ's fault - unless he is seriously only now 'getting round' to having a chat. If that's the case, then PJ should be sacked. Personally, I don't think Leadbitter should have to take a pay-cut; he should get the best deal for his family. It's okay people on here saying 'he should take a pay cut' - but what would you say if your employer said 'would like to keep you - but you must take a 30% cut'? It's all relative. If you could get a better deal else where - you would leave! Good luck to Grant - his loyalty should be with his family. ITFC will get left behind in negoations with Clegg at the helm. I understand the fair play rules - but other clubs seem to retain their players and do deals for others. We don't. Something isn't right.

0

Blue041273 added 11:32 - Mar 29 Ken, It's clear he has not been, nor will be, offered a contract on his current terms let alone any additional bonuses. The current offer will be at substantially reduced terms. GL is merely trying to get the best deal possible out of Town while his agent is looking for alternative offers from other clubs. That's fine; he will accept the offer that's best for him as indeed he should. What I and others on here don't like is that this statement that he wants to stay appears to be a ploy to extract an improved offer following a relatively brief spell of good form when, if he truly was committed to us, the contract could have been sorted out long ago.

0

Michael11 added 11:39 - Mar 29 Personally, i don't think 2 weeks of good form in two years is good enough to even offer him a new contract let alone on massive wages! The only reason i'd keep him is so we don't lose another £2m+ player on a free transfer!
0

Bourne_Blue added 11:41 - Mar 29 For all those saying that Norris didnt stay because of the money are wrong he left because ITFC would only give him 2 yrs when he wanted 3! I hope Leadboots goes so Hyam can get a look in next year.
0

walberswick added 11:45 - Mar 29 We've shot ourselves in the foot again. We let his contract run down. Any old club can offer him a signing on payment and wages. He's gone. £2.6 million down the pan.
0

itfc1981 added 12:02 - Mar 29 http://www.twtd.co.uk/news.php?storyid=18335 April 2011, More than anything, the Blues boss is determined to avoid the same thing happening again: “We don't want to be in a situation next season or in future seasons where we let our better players run out of contract. Worst run club in league?
0

bluekeen added 12:02 - Mar 29 Jas you are right he should look after his family, and get the best possible deal for them, my reference to pay-cut's is because that is the message out of the club, meaning you have to assume they are going to be offering reduced terms as they did with Carlos Edwards, If he does leave then good luck to him As for Mr Clegg and Mr Evans, I agree and have said so for a while the never seem to be able to "sell" the club.

0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls