Blues boss Paul Jewell says skipper Grant Leadbitter told him that he wants to stay at Town when the two met to talk on Wednesday. Leadbitter, a Portsmouth target earlier in the summer, is out of contract next June with the Town manager desperate to avoid a repeat of the situation which saw David Norris and Gareth McAuley leave on free transfers at the end of the season after months of speculation about their futures.
Jewell said: "I spoke to Grant. He’s not the most expressive man in the world, but he cares deeply about his football and he likes it here. We’re happy to have him.
"We had a chat. He hasn’t played as well as he would like to have played but he’s not the only one. He trains properly every day, he works hard and he’s the captain at the moment.”
The Blues boss says owner Marcus Evans has talked to Leadbitter's representative about new terms: "I know the owner has spoken with his agent on a couple of occasions. It’s ongoing.”
Jewell says he’s not actively looking to sell Leadbitter or anyone else, although that doesn’t necessarily mean no one will leave in the months to come: "We’re big boys, things happen. If a club comes in for any player and the player expresses an interest and it’s right for us, then there’s no point in me keeping a player who’s unhappy.
"But, do you know what, since I’ve been here, I don’t think anyone’s knocked on my door and asked to leave. Maybe it is too nice!
"That just shows that it’s a great club and players want to be a part of it. Sometimes it can get a bit too comfortable, I guess, but Grant has never expressed a desire or interest in leaving. We did have a bit of interest from Portsmouth but I wasn’t interested in doing that.
"I don’t want this Grant Leadbitter thing to drag on like the David Norris and Gareth McAuley situations.
"It’s no big deal. Me and Grant sat down and we had an open and frank discussion. He’s said he wants to stay, and I’m happy with that.”
The Town boss says talks have already taken place regarding extending Josh Carson's contract beyond next summer: "Josh Carson’s agent, Kevin Moran, spoke with the owner and I actually met him in Manchester in the summer and I didn’t know whether it was Josh Carson or Diego Maradona when I saw his demands!
"We’ve got to be careful with Josh. He burst on to the scene last year and sometimes younger players, after their initial effect, can take a backward step a little bit.
"I think with Josh we’re in the early days of progress yet but, again, we want to sign him. We want hungry players, we want young players to earn their money. Sometimes you can do them a disservice by giving them too much too soon.”