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.