Town boss Paul Jewell has revealed that skipper Grant Leadbitter has turned down the Blues’ initial contract offer. The 25-year-old's current terms are up at the end of the season with his representatives having held talks with owner Marcus Evans in recent weeks.

Jewell said: “Grant and his advisors sat down with the owner to discuss a new deal and it wasn’t quite what he was looking for. I’ve spoken to Grant and he seems cool with the situation. I’m comfortable with it too.

“I’ve said to all the players that if they play well for us then we might have to pay them more than someone else.

“If we get players that are striving to get a deal then it benefits the team. Grant’s playing as well as he has for us since I’ve been here at the moment so it can work positively for both parties sometimes.”

Leadbitter is one of 18 players whose terms are up either during or at the end of the season. Mark Kennedy, Tommy Smith, Shane O’Connor, Carlos Edwards, Ibrahima Sonko, Ívar Ingimarsson, Lee Bowyer, Josh Carson, Colin Healy, Luke Hyam, Jason Scotland, Tamás Priskin, Ronan Murray, Cody Cropper and Cormac Burke all have deals which end on June 30th next year, although some of those contracts include options for a further season.

Jack Ainsley and Jamie Griffiths, who is currently on loan at Plymouth, have six-month contracts, which are up at the end of December.

Jewell says he has spoken to some of those whose deals are up in June, who will be able to talk to other clubs regarding contracts for next season from January, and says there’s no panic from either side: "I’m comfortable with the situation. No-one’s knocked on my door and asked to sit down and discuss contracts, but I’m sure that will happen if we continue to play as well as we have done.

“It’s not just the lads in the final year of their contracts that we will talk to, we might also look to extend deals for the likes of young Aaron Cresswell who’s done very well. Things will hopefully be a lot clearer in a couple of months’ time.”

Blues boss Jewell has said on a number of occasions that he doesn’t want a repeat of last season’s Gareth McAuley and David Norris contract saga, while last month Leadbitter told him he wanted to remain at Portman Road.

In August TWTD revealed that Portsmouth had made an offer for the former Sunderland man but at a level well below the Blues’ expectations.

Elsewhere, new loanee Reece Wabara says he'll change his controversial yellow boots if manager Paul Jewell, who made comment on the Manchester City man's footwear after the weekend victory over Brighton, asks him to do so: “I’m happy to change them if he wants me to.

"I’m fully aware of the rivalry [with Norwich] and I’ve had a few tweets about the boots already!”

Meanwhile, many of the Town squad, staff and a number of ex-players are competing at the club's golf day at the Five Lakes Hotel, Golf, Country Club and Spa today.

Photo: Action Images

PeekFreans added 12:55 - Oct 5 So what? Too much blubbing...again.
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saffronblue added 12:56 - Oct 5 I think we should base Leadbitter's contract on shots on target per game with a deduction based on sideways passing, would surely save us a fortune. Seriously, he seems to fit into the new system well so would try and sign him up along with some of the others with a bonus/salary increase if we get promotion. If it were a choice of him and Andrews then I would gladly pack his bags and drive him to Portsmouth. Hopefully those that PJ doesn't want can be sold in January but I suspect the Priskins and Smiths of this world will leave on a free next year. Agree that Sonko, Bowyer, Scotland, Carson and possibly Edwards shold all be offered another year (as well as some of the youth) although I wonder if we get promoted how many could now cut it in the Prem

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itfcboi added 13:04 - Oct 5 Let him go. Fight to keep Andrews and give him the armband!
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blue_em_away added 13:05 - Oct 5 Superfranz Agree with you but, I would like to keep Mark Kennedy. Think he would make a great coach and is well respected at ITFC.
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simonsays added 13:06 - Oct 5 Oh dear. And they blamed Keano for McAuley and Norris contract problems!
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BlueBadger added 13:11 - Oct 5 The key phrase in this story is 'initial offer'.
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Surco72 added 13:12 - Oct 5 If Leadbitter doesnt sign before Jan get rid ,certainly easily replaced as Macauley and Norris have been ,he can go to Pompey and play League 1 football next season hopefully taking Priskin with him . With the others it is a bit of a tricky situation ,if we do well and get promoted this year how many of the above listed players would play next year in the premiership ? On the other hand i would like to keep Bowyer ,Sonko,Carson,Edwards ,Kennedy,Scotland and Murray if we stay in this league . The troubles of running a football club

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Blue041273 added 13:20 - Oct 5 Some interesting comments and observations above. For what it's worth here are some of my own. 1. PJ may be relaxed about the contract situation but the truth is that we are in another MacAuley/Norris situation. Assuming we really want to keep GL we needed to have his contract extended ahead of the close of the Summer Transfer Window. Now is too late. His best option now (as his agent knows very well) is to let his contract run out and look at the options available at the end of the season. If he and us have a good season the more options there will be. If it's a bad season no-one will worry too much about him moving on. As for selling him in the January Window, again if we're doing well a sale won't be contemplated while if it all goes pear shaped we would only get a handful of beans at most. 2. While he is at the top of his game at the moment it is not a certainty that Jason Scotland will be offered another contract. By the completion of a year's extension he will be 18 months older and won't be part of any Premiership dream even if he is capable of still doing a job in the Championship. 3. Our situation is similar to last year inasmuch that most contract negotiations won't start until ME has a better idea of our chances of promotion. He has invested a lot this year to bring in players that on paper give us a chance. 10 games in is too soon to speculate if the players soon to be out of contract are likely to to have roles to play in the future.

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KentBlue92 added 13:48 - Oct 5 Skimmed through, get cresswell on as long a deal as possible.
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Lightningboy added 14:33 - Oct 5 Get rid..will not be missed..there's far better out there than this waste of space.
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blrmy added 14:34 - Oct 5 "initial offer" and "I've spoken to Grant and he seems cool with the situation. I'm comfortable with it too.". Get a grip folks, this is not a thing to get wound up about!
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dirtydingusmagee added 14:46 - Oct 5 hardly setting the alarm bells ringing, not getting into slagging him off,but personally would not lose any sleep if he were to move on .
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Lanky added 14:54 - Oct 5 I'd keep Leadbitter, Kennedy, Edwards, Sonko, Bowyer, Carson, Hyam, Murray, Cropper and Scotland.
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Sebastian added 15:06 - Oct 5 important player,would be sad to lose him, which i think we will not. It's just the first negotiation, 2 or 3 more that turns out this way, sell him. We need loyalty.
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TractorBeezer added 15:17 - Oct 5 Had to chuckle about Reece's boots. I recall a left winger that we signed for a spell in the 1950's who caused a major stir for wearing red laces with his black boots!
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TractorBeezer added 15:21 - Oct 5 I omitted to mention that the player with the red laces was Denzil Flanagan. Hopefully the Leadbitter situation will turn out to be a win-win. If he is fully motivated and proves himself he earns more and we gat a better player. Agree we can't let it drift on past January.
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hadleighboyblue added 15:29 - Oct 5 certainly wouldn't break the bank to keep him , he must be on good money already . make him available in jan if it's not sorted by then . can't understand why he has been made skipper .............hardly a born leader is he ! As for the others , get Cresswell and Sonko and Chopra on longer deals , find out if Andrews , Collins and the new loanee are interested in staying and let Murphy go - he's much too expensive to be a fringe player and I can't see him starting

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LifeLongTownFan added 16:10 - Oct 5 good, now f*uck off
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Garv added 16:28 - Oct 5 hadleighboyblue - Chopra's already on a 3 year deal and he's 28...
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hadleighboyblue added 16:40 - Oct 5 fair dues Garv , didn't realise , got a bit carried away after his 2 great strikes on saturday !
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strikalite added 17:11 - Oct 5 This isn't uncommon is it, he'll know how much some of the other players will be earning(through adviser)so being a first teamer he's just trying to get the best deal for himself. I think Hyam could actually do his job given the chance(as Leddy as had!)so I wouldn't be held to ransom...it's all this 'advisers' bit which I hate, part of our game now I know, but it must be hugely frustrating for Clubs..

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ITFCMonk added 17:17 - Oct 5 im actually glad about this news, just get rid of him in time.. Also want sonko, bowyer, ingy, cropper, burke and lavery to sign new deals!
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Crazee added 17:50 - Oct 5 Close the door on your way out Leadlegs
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bluepeter added 17:51 - Oct 5 Hadn't thought of that broomfield, you are right!
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jas0999 added 18:01 - Oct 5 18 players out of contract? Let's not make the same mistakes. Good we are trying to negotiate a deal with Grant - but either offer him what he wants (within reason) or make sure we recoup a small fee in January.
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