Town boss Paul Jewell has revealed that he is releasing central defender Ibrahima Sonko at the end of the season. However, midfielder Grant Leadbitter’s situation is still up in the air despite the Blues manager’s conversation with owner Marcus Evans earlier this week and a lengthy chat with the player yesterday, while Tommy Smith is set to sign a new deal.
Jewell said: "I have released Sonko. He’s been a terrific pro, a really good lad around the club. He came in at a time when we were struggling with centre-halves and always gave his best.
"He’s rubbed off on a lot of young players here, he’s got a good attitude but unfortunately money is less prevalent at our club at all clubs in the Championship, I guess.
"And unfortunately for him, and one or two others, we have to make decisions on a) ability, b) on age and c) on wages.
"All these things are factors in the offering or not offering of contracts. He’s a really positive person Sonks and it was a tough decision, but they’re all tough decisions when you release people.”
Sonko has been unable to break back into the side recently with Smith re-establishing himself during the second half of the season. Jewell says the New Zealand international is set to put pen to paper on a new contract: "His agent rang me yesterday and he thinks that will get done. I haven’t spoken to Tommy about that.
"I think he’s done really well and he’s only 22. He’s a good professional, he’ll get better, so I think he’s deserved it.”
As for Leadbitter, Jewell has relented on the deadline he set at the end of last week having talked to the 26-year-old yesterday: "I spoke at length with Grant and it’s a big decision for Grant. We had a conversation for a good hour about where I see Ipswich Town.
"I was hoping that we could have a decision one way or the other, but I had such a long conversation with him yesterday and he expressed the importance of the decision for him, he gets married in June, so he’s got an awful lot on his plate.
"It’s a big, big decision for him and he wants to make sure that ambition-wise, career-wise the next one’s the right one for him.
"We both agreed that it wouldn’t have been so long ago that I might have thought it would have been best that he should move on and he might have felt the same, but I think the last couple of months have changed our minds.
"He’s been one of our best players and he’s shown what he’s capable of in the last couple of months of the season and seems a lot happier in himself because of that.
"All of a sudden he’s got a big, big decision to make and at this stage of the season.
"Rather than force him into a corner, a week’s probably not going make a lot of difference, but we do need to know by the end of the season, it won’t drag on past the end of the season.”
Meanwhile, Jewell says talks are ongoing with Lee Bowyer regarding a new contract on reduced terms with the same the case with Jason Scotland, who recently waived a clause in his previous deal an indication that he’s likely to stay, while no decision has been made on Richard Wright and Cody Cropper.
The Town boss says there are no new developments on loanee Daryl Murphy, who he is keen to sign from Celtic on a permanent basis, while he expects youngster Callum Bennett to leave the club having turned down his contract.
Sheffield Wednesday are amongst a number of clubs interested with the Blues entitled to compensation when the right-back, who has been at the club since he was seven, moves on.