Key defender Gareth McAuley has revealed that he has rejected the new contract offered by the Blues and says his future should have been sorted last summer. The Northern Irishman, who is amongst 21 players out of contract at the end of the season, also confirmed that the Blues turned down offers for him in the close season.

McAuley said: “It’s a funny one. And it should have been sorted out last summer. Ipswich turned down a couple of offers for me and if they were keen to keep me they should have offered me a new deal then instead of letting it drag on for months.”

SPL giants Rangers were believed to have made offers for the former Leicester and Lincoln man during the summer and may well renew their interest with the 31-year-old able to talk to other clubs now he has fewer than six months remaining on his current contract. Premier League Bolton were also linked.

The former skipper confirmed TWTD’s earlier reports that he, along with current captain David Norris, had been offered a two-year deal by the Blues but says it doesn't match his expectations: “I was eventually offered a two-year contract four weeks ago, but it was not right for me and I told the club with the ball now back in their court.

“There have been further discussions, but we don’t seem any further forward. I’m happy here, but I have got to look after number one at this stage of my career.

“There is no way I look at the grass being greener on the other side of the fence and I’m not after silly money. The contract offer is not right at the moment.”

Prior to his sacking, former manager Roy Keane had targeted signing veteran Irish international centre-half Andy O’Brien - who has subsequently moved from Bolton to Leeds - which may have indicated that he expected McAuley to leave Portman Road at some point in the months to come.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich24 added 18:56 - Jan 11 We need to do all we can to keep Mcaulay he has been our best player by some distance. We cant afford to lose him for nothing. I agree with a lot of comments poor management of the situation. My bet is that he has already signed a pre-contract agreement elsewhere Clegg/Evans you numptys
0

TraCtorJoe added 19:00 - Jan 11 will be a big miss if he goes has been our best defender by a mile!!
0

ShropshireBluenago09 added 19:03 - Jan 11 cant say i blame him...possible champions league/uefa cup and if we were slow then ME and Clegg are muppetts
0

brogansnose added 19:04 - Jan 11 The club has got to be run on a sensible financial footing and it is ridiculous to expect ME to just keep shovelling money in, especially when younger and cheaper options are available from the youth ranks and other leagues. I for one don't want to go through that administration thing ever again. Despite that Clegg continues to be incompetant, clueless and chaotic and if the manager, whether it be RK or PJ say i need to keep this player then he should ,within reason, work to that end. Still leaves a nasty smell though when the players hold the club to ransom, which is the nature of the modern footballer. Bunch of tarts. However Norris can go, really can't see what the fuss is about him. Very ordinary.

0

ElvisMariner added 19:05 - Jan 11 Another laughable situation at Portman Rd - this should have been sorted out in the summer....
0

RYITFC added 19:12 - Jan 11 You obviously don''t wanna play for the club and it is clear your trying to get a better deal for yourself. You ain't that good, I remember the start of last season you were absolutely shocking, That could have finished your career if you were dropped. So we stick with you and yeah you have been the pick of our defenders, But you still have been at fault at times. Yeah bet you forgot about that. No player is bigger than the club and if the money he is asking for is a lot more than any player at the club then he should be let go.

0

dirtydingusmagee added 19:26 - Jan 11 KEANE OUT
0

Blue_Fred added 19:35 - Jan 11 BYE THEN........if you don't want to play here then make way for someone who does!! let him go now and get his payday elsewhere - we are now building for the longterm under PJ and offering 3 years to a 31 year old is not future building. And Norris can go to - Hyam/Leadbitter can play the defensive midfield role and we will need Norris's shirt for a playmaker Sell them both now - I'd even let them go on a free in Jan and save the wages

0

WorcesterBlue added 19:35 - Jan 11 Thought we might go a day feeling good about things but then this! We are in a mess and looks like MC is out of here so lets get some money for him at least (yes he is our best defender but clearly Rangers is hard for him to turn down). Sign up those who want to stay (and who PJ wants), ship the others out, buy a decent CB, LB and right winger and give the young guns like Smith, Brown, Hyam, Wickham and O'Connor a decent chance. Simples....or perhaps not!

0

Karlosfandangal added 19:45 - Jan 11 Has had a couple of good seasons with us, However it was very clear that in the summer we had to reduce the wage bill as it had reached £15 million (reported for the first team) R Wright D Wright J Stead all went because of thier wages. If McAuley is on only 10k a week thats half a million a year, so the club are offering a minimum of £1million in wages over the next 2 years. I would think he is earning more than 10k a week and if he is asking for more plus a longer contract, the club are commiting themself to anything between £2 - £3million in wages. Have we learn a lesson from the L Martin case where we have given a player a 4 year contract at a reported 12k a week

0

keighleyblue added 19:52 - Jan 11 I think the timing of this is very poor and obviously calculated to have maximum negotiating impact. I for one have never rated McAuley to be honest, I think he's lightweight for a CB but I look at the options and we are so thin on experience at the back. Another example of how unbalanced our squad is, we haven't had a settled decent centre back pairing for years. Oh for the days of Beattie/Hunter, Butcher/Osman, Venus/Mowbray, even de Vos/Naylor. Wickham needs to be sold so that Jewell can sort out a team capable of staying up.

0

I_8_NARWICH added 20:03 - Jan 11 what on earth was clegg playing at last summer?? (Possibly) our best player and they just let his contract run down. To be honest i wouldnt blame him if he left as now hes 31 and coming to the end of his career its probably his last chance of playing in the premier league, but we shouldnt have got into this situation in the first place.
0

lunatic38 added 20:07 - Jan 11 I really dont think Evans or Clegg are to blame here!!! This is the usual "grass is greener etc", i even think (relating to an earlier post) that money will not change his mind, he has been tapped up by a bigger Club and if it is Rangers then GM got a choice of Championship or Champions league!! Dont be fooled by the smoke screen about should have been done last year bollox or because Roy has been sacked, he is going for the big time as many Ipswich players have done in the past and left us, so PJ gotta find a replacement. The only shame is, he is going to go on a free and we wont get a penny!!

0

h32 added 20:08 - Jan 11 No one can blame McAuley for this - he is right from both player and club point, it should have been sorted in the Summer 2010. This is typical of non Football people not doing what they should, when they should - please learn from this Mr Clegg. I repeat - sorted in the Summer would have been the totally right time, everyone (with a brain) could see it - except those that should have. Fine example of 'trying to close the stable door after the Suffolk Punch has bolted '. Not the only one either !!.

0

h32 added 20:15 - Jan 11 We're in the mire, sucking on the straw - and will be for some considerable time is my guess. But it can only get better surely ................................ !!!!!!
0

lunatic38 added 20:17 - Jan 11 As mentioned in the article, Keane was looking at Obrien because they think Roy new this was going to happen! The only bad business here is that Ipswich will not get any money but be under no illusions because we are in the Champioship GM was going to leave, without doubt. Have we not seen this before at Ipswich?
0

Garv added 20:20 - Jan 11 Nasty feeling telling me more players will do the same because of the new manager, but they news to grow up and understand keane was a footballing cancer and managers move on. You have to do a job got your club!
0

Plums added 20:23 - Jan 11 It may not be wages that are the sticking point. Perhaps he wants a longer deal and the insurers won't cover it with injury history or similar reasons. Give the guy a break and stop the hysteria.
0

collis_itfc added 20:29 - Jan 11 the team should be Fulop Peters - McAuley - Delaney - O'Dea Edwards - Norris - Healy - Civelli/Lambe Wickham - Priskin Not a bad 11 to start against Arsenal, I was at the game against chelsea on Sunday and one thing we need to try and do better is close down and get stuck in abit more. We showed chelsea to much respect on sunday and let them come on to us. I mean as much as this isnt the priority at the moment but a chance to play at wembley in a domestic cup final has got to give them huge motivation. Even though most home fans who are going to be at the game tomorrow night are only there to watch arsenal because there all glory hunters, us die hard fans need to get behind the team and cheer our boys on. we need to still be in this cup tie after the 90 minutes. COYB!!!!!

0

northernblues added 20:32 - Jan 11 saw this in the burnley fanzine, they didnt fancy jewell, he wasn't my first choice, but hey it could of been alot worse, all the best to him. As we move that bit closer to knowing who the new man will be to replace Brian Laws, the voting this time was as follows: 22.4% - Chris Hughton 20.7% - Sam Allardyce 14.3% - Malky Mackay 10.0% - Derek McInnes 7.7% - Eddie Howe 6.1% - Kevin Keegan 4.7% - Sean O'Driscoll 2.9% - Graham Alexander & Steve Clarke 2.0% - Billy Davies 1.9% - Gary Neville 1.0% - Paul Jewell 0.4% - Andy Scott

0

Bostonblue added 20:40 - Jan 11 Get rid of Clegg & put his wages back into the team!
0

h32 added 20:42 - Jan 11 northernblues - that's one club that certainly didn't want him - maybe he's cheap !!
0

blue added 20:48 - Jan 11 FOXES CLOSE IN ON YAKUBU SWOOP Leicester are set to move for Everton's out-of-favour striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu, so why dont we try getting him ??? Cmon we can send him a tractor to get him down here :)
0

blue added 20:57 - Jan 11 Keane: Deals Offered to Norris and McAuley But Club Needs Big Changes Fri 17th Dec 2010 12:55 Boss Roy Keane says contract talks have begun with skipper David Norris and key defender Gareth McAuley but hints that a large number of Town's 21 out of contract players might not be kept on beyond the end of their current terms. The Blues manager says the club needs to undergo “big changes”. Seems to me rk went but couldnt get enough funds for potential better players, so hes off now jewell MUST get funds to get new players.If not might aswell of given the bin man the managerial job.

0

runaround added 21:09 - Jan 11 Very disappointed. I think this shows the Clegg/Evans have much to learn about football, the way you can treat staff in business is not quite the same as football where the players have all the power. This should have been sorted a lot earlier and they need to offer McA decent terms. If he is asking for more than club can reasonably pay, especially if its a lot more than rest of squad, then fair enough but if its just a case of ME trying to pay as little as possible, then that wont work when McA can talk to all other interested clubs. I just hope they come to some agreement as we need him in our team

0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls