Defender Damien Delaney says he’d love to stay with the Blues beyond the end of his contract in the summer, but as yet has not been offered a new deal. Manager Paul Jewell has told the Irishman that he doesn’t want him to leave and that it is up to the 29-year-old to impress him enough to win new terms during the remaining months of the season.
Delaney says that so far — unlike team-mates Gareth McAuley and David Norris - he has not received a contract offer: "The club haven't spoken to me, they haven't intimated they want me to stay, although they turned down a bid [from Crystal Palace] in January. I was told I definitely wasn’t for sale and then I was told pretty much that there wasn't another deal there.
"But I think Gareth and Chuck are in the same boat, they've not heard anything for two months with regards to their contracts.
"From the management point of view, I spoke to Paul Jewell and he told me about the bid, he told me he wanted me to stay from a football point of view and that's why I've stayed. But come the summer, I have to look at my situation and just try and find work."
The former QPR man says his agent had a short conversation with Simon Clegg around the time of the change of manager at Portman Road: "My agent had a brief discussion with the chief executive and it was quite hesitant. It wasn’t good feedback, it didn’t make me think they wanted me to stay long term.
"At my age, 29, you have to be thinking about security, but we’ll wait and see, I’m not really panicked about it.”
Delaney, who now won't be able to play enough league games this season to trigger an extra year option on his current deal, says he isn’t looking to move anywhere else: "I'd love to stay, I genuinely mean that. I think clubs like Ipswich Town don’t come around very often. It’s fabulous club, it’s a wonderful place to live and with the history the club has.
"It’s just a good club, there’s a good feel to the place. I know the fans are dying for a bit of success and the players are as well and I’d love to be part of that and help that to happen.
"But for whatever reason nothing's been explained to me or mentioned about a contract, so I suppose their silence speaks loud enough."
The twice-capped Irish international was pleased with the conversation he had with Paul Jewell last week: "I had a good chat with him, he told me he wanted me to stay and that [the number of players out of contract] was a problem that he’s inherited and was absolutely nothing to do with him.
"From that point of view I was more than happy to stay because he told me he wanted me to stay and I said to him that from a footballing point of view I’d be more than happy to stay.
"He said get your head down and work hard between now and the summer. I definitely know I’m required between now and May and after that we’ll see what the club say. Come May, who knows what’s going to be on the table.
"All I wanted to hear from Paul Jewell was that he wanted me to stay and as soon as I heard that I thought that would do for me. If he’d have hesitated and said he wasn’t sure, then obviously you don’t want to stay somewhere where you’re not wanted.”
The centre-half says he’s surprised that the situation has developed as it has: "It’s a bit strange how it’s ended up like this, I don’t know how it’s come about, it should never have got to this stage.
"The key thing is, and I was speaking to Gareth, I think the lads genuinely do want to stay, so it’s not a case of the club trying to sign us and we’re trying get away. We’re almost saying that we want to stay and we’d love to stay here and can you help us out, but we’re hearing nothing back and it’s frustrating.
"The lads have families as well and as much as we want to stay at Ipswich Town, you have a family to look after, so come the summer we maybe will have to look elsewhere.”
Delaney says skipper David Norris and his central defensive partner Gareth McAuley feel much the same as him: "They’ve had offers two months ago, but they’ve heard nothing since then. Obviously we speak to one another about it, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening?’. I think it’s the best part of two months since they’ve heard anything back as well.”
Ultimately, the Cork man feels the players’ position will only be strengthened the longer they remain in their current position: "When you’re on a free transfer you definitely hold a lot of the cards. People aren’t silly, they know we’re going to hold all the cards come the end of the season.
"The club are taking a massive gamble because even if the club makes you an offer there are going to be other offers on the table, so it’s going to be more difficult for them.”
But the ex-Leicester City and Hull man says that ideally he’d like the club to make him an offer before then: "I’d hope so. Paul Jewell says he wants me to stay, if that’s the case, if ever the club say something to me then we’ll talk about it.
"I’m not particularly worried,” he continued. "But come the summer, I’ll definitely have to have a look at it.
"As much as I’d love to stay at Ipswich Town, I have a family as well and I have myself and my family to look after, and if there’s not work here then I’ll obviously have to find somewhere else.”
Manager Jewell hints that the club’s closeness to the relegation zone may have had some bearing on the lack of contract offers to the likes of Delaney: "I had a conversation with him last week and he could have gone to another club with a three-year contract. I was straight with him and told him that I didn’t want him to go and it was up to him to impress me to stay here.
"As far as I’m aware, I looked him in the eye, he doesn’t want to leave here and it’s up to the players to impress us. I think the players have been terrific with that.
"Hopefully, sooner rather than later we can get stuff sorted. The only concern I’ve got is making sure we’ve got enough points and then we’ll know where we’re going to be next year, I’m pretty confident that we’re going to be OK.
"But once we know for definite, then we can sit down and make decisions. That’s what I’ve said to the players. The ball’s in their court. If they go and play well between now and the end of the season and show the same commitment and desire that they have up to now, everyone wins.
"They’ll certainly win, we’ll obviously try and pay then more money to keep them, so will other clubs. It’s a win-win situation for them.”