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Options Not Taken on Keane, Roberts and Rowe But Deals Could Still Be Offered - Ipswich Town News

Town have announced they are not taking the one-year options on Will Keane, Jordan Roberts and Danny Rowe’s contracts but with the door having been left open to possible future deals as football’s financial situation becomes clearer.

As reported on Friday, the Blues had until the third weekend in May to take up the one-year options on out-of-contract players' deals.

"With so much uncertainty over the game and the financial situation, it’s not feasible for the club to take up the options on the players at the moment,” general manager football operations Lee O’Neill told the club site.

"The door is certainly not closed though and it’s a situation that we will look at again when the football world becomes a bit clearer.”

Striker Keane joined the Blues on a permanent basis last summer following his release by Hull City having spent the second half of 2018/19 on loan at Portman Road.

The 27-year-old striker has made 19 starts and 10 sub appearances during 2019/20, scoring six times. Overall, including his loan spell, Keane has made 28 starts and 13 appearances from the bench for Town, scoring nine times.

If the former Manchester United trainee isn't offered terms later on down the line by the Blues a move to the MLS may appeal with ex-Everton striker and current Minnesota United head coach Adrian Heath his father-in-law.

Winger Rowe was signed from Macclesfield in January 2017 but has made only 14 starts and 15 sub appearances, scoring once for Town. While with the Blues he has spent two spells out on loan at Lincoln.

Forward Roberts, 26, appears the least likely of the three to be offered further terms later on down the line having recently returned from a loan spell at Gillingham - after also had a stint with Lincoln last season - and having played just a minute of League One football for Town during 2019/20.

In total, Roberts, who signed on a free transfer after leaving Crawley in the summer of 2018, has made 10 starts and seven sub appearances for the Blues, scoring three Leasing.com Trophy goals.

Previously the Blues took up options to keep youngsters Andre Dozzell, Armando Dobra, Brett McGavin and Harry Wright for a further season.

Dobra, 19, has all but agreed a new three-year deal with the option for a further season, while talks with Dozzell, 21, have been ongoing since last summer and discussions with McGavin, 20, are also under way.

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