Blues boss Mick McCarthy says he’s in no hurry to offer Town’s out of contract players new terms. Lee Martin, Andy Drury, Arran Lee-Barrett, Carlos Edwards, Jason Scotland, Nathan Ellington, Jack Ainsley, Cormac Burke, Ronan Murray and Joe Whight all have deals which are up at the end of June.
The Town manager has already confirmed that Scotland is likely to move on during this window - with Wolves, Brighton and Preston all interested - while Ellington, who has just returned from a loan spell at Scunthorpe, and several others seem unlikely to be kept on.
McCarthy said: "I’ve been in this business long enough and when you start giving players new contracts now they suddenly think ‘That’s nice, I’m here for the next three years’ and don’t run around as much as they did.
"I’ve experienced that. I’m not saying these players would do that, but I’ve experienced it with players and I’m not going to have that.”
He says that the likes of Martin and Drury who are currently around the first team aren’t going to be moved on during this window: "They’re not going to be sold, they’re going to stay here and we’ll negotiate with them for new contracts when the time comes.
"If we’re safe with a whole clatter of games to go, then we might start talking about it. What you have to understand is that it also gives me the opportunity to have a clean slate and start again.
"And it’s not going to be easy for players in the summer with the Financial Fair Play rules. I can see it already happening.
"There are a hell of a lot of players coming out of contract all around the country at different clubs and there are lots of them offering players less than they are on now.
"Now, a sure-fire way to piss players off is to offer them less than what they’re on already. I’m quite happy just to let them run out.”
This situation means that there are likely to be plenty of Championship players out of contract in the summer, something which could work in McCarthy’s favour as he looks to add to his squad during the close season.
The Blues boss doesn’t anticipate having any problems luring signings to Town: "The money generally decides where players are going to go, but the manager has an impact on that, the coaching staff, the ground, the fans, the area and we’re all right in some of those aspects, we do OK.
"So, in terms of attracting players, I don’t think there’s a problem with that. And then competing with the clubs that we need to compete with regarding wages, then we can do that.
"It gives us an opportunity, it’s not just carte blanche for the players to go ‘Wa-hey, I’m out of contract’, there’ll be players that don’t get clubs this year, from different clubs.
"There’ll be players who will let their contracts run out but the tide is changing. Where players want to sign a new contract, they want to know that they are under contract, they want to make sure, unless they’re the very, very top ones who know they’re going to command an unbelievable Bosman move.”
Despite other clubs being financially better off than the Blues, McCarthy isn't complaining and is confident that Town will be able to compete in the Championship next season, if they confirm their position in the division.
"I knew what I was getting into when I came here,” he said. ”I don’t go anywhere and start bitching about it. If we stay up, who’s to say what can happen next season?
"And we’re all going to have our wings clipped with the Financial Fair Play rules, so it’s not going be that anybody can keep throwing money at it, it’s going to be about teams having to be coached, managed, picking players and being clever at picking players.
"I’ve done that before, so maybe one or two will be whinging at me next season, who knows.”
Meanwhile, jockey Andrew Heffernan was the only defendant to turn up to first day of the British Horseracing Authority hearing into the race fixing charges also made against Michael Chopra.
The Town striker previously made a statement outlining why he wouldn't be appearing at the inquiry, which is expected to last 10 days.