Town boss Paul Jewell is set to meet owner Marcus Evans next Tuesday to discuss their plans for the season ahead. Evans is due back in the UK on Monday after a holiday in the Bahamas having made offers to some of the club’s out-of-contract players while he has been away.

Jewell says that the situation with contracts should be sorted over the next fortnight once he has held his meeting with Evans: “I’m seeing him on Tuesday morning and Tuesday early afternoon to go through everything — what budget, what I’ve got, what we haven’t got and everything else.

“He’s made a couple of offers to players’ agents while he’s been away and we’re hoping to tie them down one way or the other.

“There are lads who are out of contract who we need to speak to in order to let them know whether we’re going to offer them deals or not. There’s a lot to do in the next fortnight.”

The Blues manager says Tommy Smith, who he previously revealed would be offered new terms, is amongst those whose agent Evans has been in contact with: “I’m sure Marcus has spoken with his agent. I’m trying to leave all the financial stuff to those people really.”

Jewell says he has talked to Grant Leadbitter’s agent and was planning to speak with the midfielder himself on Thursday afternoon: “We’ve made him an offer and I spoke to his agent yesterday. After I speak to you [the media] I’m going to have a chat with Grant because we need bottom it out really.

“We’d love him to stay, but if he’s not going to stay we’ll have to make it public. If he’s not going to stay, he’s not going to stay, but we’re hoping that he’s going to stay with us.”

Leadbitter is understood to be keen on agreeing terms offered by Middlesbrough back in his native North-East, while Brighton and others are also believed to have shown interest in the 26-year-old.

Jewell isn’t surprised that other clubs are sniffing around the £2.65 million summer of 2009 signing from Sunderland: “I spoke to his agent, who is a terrific fella. There’s a lot of interest in Grant, I’m sure everyone’s aware of that.

“But we’re in the box seat because he’s already here and what else can we do? I think every club in the Championship and below, and even in the Premiership, is looking at the financial aspect of the game and it isn’t as well off as it was a few years ago, like the rest of the world.

“We have to cut our cloth accordingly, but we want Grant to stay and we want him to be part of a team which is up at the top end of the league next season.

“We know we need to improve, we know we’re going to have to improve the squad, but that’ll be done between now and the start of next season.”

Lee Bowyer’s contract has an option for a second year and Jewell says his situation will be discussed: “I think he’s got to play so many games to trigger it automatically. I spoke with Lee and I know Marcus is going to be speaking to him.”

Evans will also talk to Jason Scotland, who is understood to have been offered a new one-year deal having signed a waiver regarding the clause in his previous deal entitling him to a further season at his current wage if he makes one more league start.

“Marcus is seeing him on Tuesday as well,” Jewell said. “On Tuesday I think I’ll have a clearer indication of what I’ve got and what I haven’t got. I’ll get my budget, what I’ve got to spend, what I’ve got to sell, what I haven’t got and I’ll be able to give you a clearer idea after the game on Tuesday or in the late part of next week.”

Also out of contract this summer are Ibrahima Sonko, Richard Wright and Cody Cropper, while Mark Kennedy is expected to retire and formally join the coaching staff.

Photo: Action Images

brockleyblueboy added 06:14 - Apr 13 Good luck PJ, get what ou need and take us forward, you must surely no where we need strengthening, work with the cash ME will say you have at your disposal. We are close to getting there, a few tweaks and we could be challenging for at least a play off place.
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floridaboy added 06:59 - Apr 13 Give Smith and Cropper new deals and let the rest go! Sure PJ has new keeper, new RB, new CD and striker on his radar.
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bluearmy4life added 07:07 - Apr 13 Play-offs a minimum for next season. 2-4 million to spend in getting in the right players.
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Bleedingblue added 07:12 - Apr 13 Forget Leadbitter and give Lee Martin and JET extended contracts so they can't walk!
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BlueBoots added 08:28 - Apr 13 "Evans is due back in the UK on Monday after a holiday in the Bahamas having made offers to some of the club's out-of-contract players while he has been away." I can just picture it...Marcus Evans making the offers to the players via video-call; telling them there's less money floating about in the club with a cocktail in hand and blue sea, palm trees and bikini clad beauties wandering around in the background...

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Karlosfandangal added 08:45 - Apr 13 Agree Blueboots " Look lads times are hard I could only afford 2 weeks this year, you will have to hope you can get buy on 6k a week"
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Len_Brennan added 08:50 - Apr 13 Obviously we need a keeper and at least 2 defenders - that's a given. If we are to spend money though, PJ should look to invest in young players, on at least 3 year contracts, who will make back what is paid for them if/when sold on. Perhaps €2m+ for Nick Powell, incl. adds on, is not reckless? I would also like to see Gary Madine of Sheff Wed on the list, he's only 21 & has all the attributes to be Premiership centre forward, without the profile of Rhodes & Evans just yet. If Wednesday don't go up he might be tempted.

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saffronblue added 08:53 - Apr 13 The guy is working whilst on holiday and still he gets slated. Some peple are never happy. Would like Cropper to be given a couple of games now the season is almost done and if Grant is not staying go back to playing Hyam
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jas0999 added 08:56 - Apr 13 There is a lot of work to do. I hope PJ proves me completely wrong, but based on last year and our current league position after almost a season and a half's work - I simply can't see that PJ is capable of moving this club forward.
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Marshalls_Mullet added 09:09 - Apr 13 Blueboots..... Marcus has every right to be there whether it sends out the austerity message or not. He owns and runs a profitable business. The players only make us a loss as presently they are a bunch of very highly rewarded failures.
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Mark added 09:11 - Apr 13 PJ is moving the club forward, it's just not that easy to turn a bunch of relegating battlers into a promotion chasing side in one year. I expect the budget will be tighter than ever next season, but that will also be true of a lot of clubs. Let's get Lee Bowyer out of the door and spend his money elsewhere. As for Leadbitter, just tell us you are going man so we can move on!

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rgp1 added 09:36 - Apr 13 Hopefully mr Evans will hand jewell his P45 on his return. Too many at our great club have accepted mediocrity for too long.
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StowTractorBoy added 10:36 - Apr 13 I would rather accept mediocrity than the likes of Huddersfield, both the Sheffield Clubs, Forest, Leeds the list goes on, who have fallen out of this division. Some people need to get real we are a small Town Club who have greatly over achieved in the past. Be grateful for what we have - of course I want us to be successful but there many other Clubs bigger than us who want the same and we can't all be promoted.

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Surco72 added 10:37 - Apr 13 The club has already moved on from the previous manager Jas ,still hurts doesnt it ?
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Langdon_Blue added 10:55 - Apr 13 Jas 099 "I simply can't see that PJ is capable of moving this club forward" Oh, so that's how you feel. Why haven't you mentioned this before???
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rgp1 added 10:55 - Apr 13 @stowtractorboy I can accept mediocrity if We have nothing, however, for the last four years Mr Evans money has been pi$$ed up the wall by two mouthy irishman and a wide eyed scouser. and where are we, worse off in my book .
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buryblue77 added 11:55 - Apr 13 @rgp1, money pi$$ed up the wall by just the one mouth Irishman I think you'll find. JM made some good signings, albeit we were put over the barrel by some clubs back then because suddenly it was known we had some money, it's the top managements fault (Evans and Clegg who take on contract negotiations) that we keep losing them all on free transfers because we're unable to negotiate new contracts. RK wasted money on players like Priskin and Fulop (and until recently Leadbitter looked a waste of £2.6m, but is that because he's playing himself into the shop window now?) PJ has made some good signings (Bullard hasn't quite worked out which is strange and Bowyer who was excellent in the Prem last year has been poor a lot of the time too) like Cresswell, Chopra, JET, Drury and Stevenson, all of them costing less than RK shelled out on the Leadbitter/Edwards deal.

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Mystified added 12:00 - Apr 13 Mark - Please explain where Mr Jewell has made progress. Bottom line is this is his team, some good signings some not so good, will we be competing for a top 2 spot or in the play-off mix next season, im not sure with Mr Jewell at the helm. Sign up Hyam and Smith on long term deals!
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PJ_Needs_Duncan added 12:15 - Apr 13 Hopefully ME likes the Apprentice and the phrase "You're Fired" is stuck in his head. Jewell Out
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Karlosfandangal added 12:26 - Apr 13 Club is playing better over the last couple of months and feel players are playing better now than at the beginning of the season, However The team played better towards the end of last season Last Year W 18 D 8 L 20 F 62 A 68 Points 62 This Year W 16 D 8 L 18 F 64 A 70 Points 56 Players leaving on a free because contract have been allowed to run down. It like re living last season. I hope the bulk of the players have settled in now and next year we can really start to push for the top 6

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sonian_blue added 12:48 - Apr 13 Taxi for PJ
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Surco72 added 13:41 - Apr 13 buryblue ....Bruce,Shumi,Stead,Lisbie,Civilli,Thatcher,Quinn,Balkenstein, Campo money wasted by Magic ? I think Jewells transfers so far have been a lot more successful percentage wise than the last two managers ? And Mystified what gives Town the right to be competing with the top two , we havent spent anywhere near what Saints,West Ham,Leicester,Birmingham have ?ave
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rosseden added 14:44 - Apr 13 Blueboots - ME's fortune and the clubs turnover have absolutely no relevance in relation to each other now with the new financial rules coming in, clubs have to be self funding..... end of. Wouldnt matter if someone with a £100bn fortune bought us, still have the same rules......
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buryblue77 added 15:29 - Apr 13 Surco, I would say that only Shumi, Thatcher and Lisbie are really in that list. I'd happily still have most of the others here, I think Stead could do a job, Bruce is good enough and nobody knew that Civelli (who looked good in the few games he played) was going to have such a serious injury.
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Surco72 added 16:15 - Apr 13 buryblue agree nobody can predict an injury but money spent £1million for maybe 6 good games is money wasted on Civelli .Stead and Bruce have done nothing in this league since they left and Quinn was shocking .But still overall Magic wasted a large amount on poor players Mac ,Norris and Walters excluded as someone earlier suggested ,i think you will find that with any manager in the world ,it is just used as an excuse for another beating stick by some supporters .

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