Town boss Roy Keane has dismissed Brentford’s claim that the Blues and Bees have agreed a fee for Pim Balkestein’s potential permanent move to Griffin Park. The Dutchman is currently on loan with the League One side for the second time this season.
When the former Heerenveen man rejoined the Bees last month, a statement on the Brentford official website claimed a fee for a permanent switch had been set, however, Keane says this is not the case: "Nothing’s been agreed with Brentford.”
Balkestein is out of contract in the summer, although Keane confirmed that the Blues have an option to keep him for a third year which he is considering whether to exercise: "We’ll have a look at it over the last few months. There are a few other players’ contracts which are up but we’ll look at that at the end of the season.”
The Town manager says Balkestein’s return to Griffin Park on emergency loan deadline day was arranged very swiftly: "It all happened very quickly at the last minute. I’m always keen for the players to go out and get some games. Pim’s a good player and he’s doing well there, he scored the other night.
"A lot of the players we’ve let go on loan are doing reasonably well, but we know that they will because we know they’re good players. Sometimes we just feel that one or two need a change of scenario or like Pim need a run of games and, with us having Tommy Smith back here and with young Tom Eastman doing really well, we thought we had plenty of cover.”
Eastman seems certain to be amongst the players coming to the end of their academy scholarships to be offered a contract, although Keane says no deals are as yet on the table: "We’ve not offered them anything yet but we’ve discussed the situation with Tom Eastman and Luke Hyam.
"The young lads will be told in the next few weeks, I think legally they have to be told by a certain date. We’re pretty clear on what we want to do with the young lads anyway.
"There are a few boys in the situation - Seb Dunbar’s another one - where they don’t know whether they’re getting pro contracts, like at every other club up and down the country.
"That’s probably going to be finalised next week, but I had the discussion last week and we’re pretty sure what we’re going to do with them.”