Town’s soon-to-be out-of-contract players will learn this weekend whether the Blues will be taking up the one-year options of their deals.
Vice-captain Cole Skuse, Gwion Edwards, Danny Rowe, Will Keane and Jordan Roberts are the five players whose terms are up at the end of June.
The Blues have until the third weekend in May to take up their one-year options with news on those decisions expected from the club next week.
However, even if players don’t have their options taken up that won’t necessarily mean they will be leaving the club.
With so much uncertainty surrounding football and its finances at present, Town could offer new reduced terms later on in the summer once the situation becomes clearer.
Forward Jordan Roberts, 26, seems certain to be released having recently returned from a loan spell at Gillingham having made just a single one-minute League One appearance for the Blues during 2019/20 prior to his temporary departure to the Gills.
In January, Skuse, 34, revealed he was in talks with owner Marcus Evans regarding a new deal which would lead to a future unspecified role at Portman Road once he hangs up his boots, however, much has changed since those discussions took place.
As previously reported, the Blues have taken up the one-year options on Andre Dozzell, Armando Dobra, Brett McGavin and Harry Wright’s contracts. Dobra has all but agreed a new three-year deal with the option for a further season, while talks with Dozzell regarding a new longer term contract have been ongoing since last summer. We understand discussions with McGavin regarding new terms are also under way.
EFL chairman Rick Parry revealed earlier this week that there will be 1,400 players out of contract at the end of June, most of them in Leagues One and Two.