Town boss Paul Jewell has told Grant Leadbitter that he wants to know whether the midfielder is going to stay at Portman Road in the early part of this week. Leadbitter, who has been offered new terms by Town having turned down a deal earlier in the season, is out of contract at the end of June and is understood to have been approached by Middlesbrough, while Brighton have also been linked.

Jewell says he held talks with the August 2009 £2.65 million signing from Sunderland at the end of the week: “I spoke to him on Friday morning and told him we need an answer asap and outlined to him the plans that I have, and hopefully he’ll want to be part of that.

“He says he likes Ipswich and he’d like to stay, so obviously we’ve got to work out the package he needs. We need to know in the next 48 hours. I’m hopeful. Fingers crossed he likes what we’re trying to do here and he wants to be part of it.”

Pressed on the 48-hour time limit the Blues manager said it might not be quite that strict but he wants the situation clear soon so both parties can move forward.

Jewell says the conversation wasn’t about money but on how he sees the seasons to come: “I didn’t speak to him about finance, I spoke to him about the plans that I’ve got, hopefully for the long-term. Hopefully he wants to be part of them. He gave me that impression.

“But it’s a big decision for him because I think he gets married in the summer, he’s 26 now. We want to keep him, he wants to stay so hopefully we can get it done.”

He reiterated that there will be news on that and other contract issues after his Tuesday meeting with Marcus Evans, who has been on holiday in the Bahamas: “That will all be resolved on Tuesday. Marcus has been away for three weeks but we’ve been speaking constantly. We’ll sit down face to face and go through next year.”

Jewell says he works well with Evans: “He’s part of what we’re trying to do, he’s been a terrific foil for me and hopefully in the long-term I’ll be able to reward him.”

On Saturday’s draw at Crystal Palace, the Blues manager had praise for goalscorer Jason Scotland’s performances at Selhurst Park and over the campaign: “He’s been good for us Jason. He’s played a pivotal part, most of it’s been as a cameo but he’s a terrific player, a terrific lad to have around the place and I think he’s had a decent enough season.

“It’s been a bit stop-start, he’s had one or two problems but he’s got himself right and we’re pleased with Jason.”

Jewell, who said he had no new injuries although Daryl Murphy was holding his hamstring towards the end, was also pleased with Aaron Cresswell’s display: “I thought Cressy was excellent against Wilfried Zaha, it was a good test for him and it shows how far he’s come from when he first got here, I thought he was terrific.”

Regarding the season as a whole, he says that while the middle of the table isn’t where he wants to be, he’s relieved to be away from the relegation zone: “No one’s ever happy to finish mid-table but if you’d said in January we’d have had a mid-table finish we’d have bitten your hand off.”

Palace boss Dougie Freedman believes he Blues have made progress since his side won 1-0 at Portman Road in October: “I thought Ipswich were very good in the middle of the park and Paul Jewell’s certainly turned them around from when we played them at the beginning of the season because I felt that we had a comfortable win up there. But we found it very hard and cagey in that midfield.”

Meanwhile, Tuesday’s opponents Birmingham may recall keeper Jack Butland from his loan at Cheltenham with first-choice Boaz Myhill sustaining a suspected sprained thumb in the warm-up ahead of Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Bristol City. Irish international Colin Doyle looks likely to start against the Blues at Portman Road.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Mark added 09:15 - Apr 16 Quite right. We can't let ITFC be just a bargaining tool which Leadbitter can use to negotiate a better
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Mark added 09:19 - Apr 16 Quite right. We can't let ITFC be just a bargaining tool which Leadbitter can use to negotiate a better deal with Middlesbrough. It should have been sorted out last summer for a £2.6M signing.
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jas0999 added 09:33 - Apr 16 Agreed. Last Summer was the time to sort this. Losing Norris and McAuley last Summer was careless - now we are in the same boat again which is laughable. Someone is at fault for this and for once it's not PJ. Surely Clegg should have had this all sorted? Sounds like another Norris situation. Having said that, if reports are correct, if I were Leadbitter I wouldn't accept a 1/3 of my current salary - particularly when other clubs will probably at least match his current wage.

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daniel9624 added 09:44 - Apr 16 Truth be told he was never a £2.6 million player, and it doesn't really matter whether he stays or goes, though it would have been nice to get a fee. Would rather have hyam and drury, with bullard and stevenson backing them up. Then maybe a young player coming in, or Lawrence pushing from the academy. His wages will be far better spent on a decent centre-half.
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Paddy39 added 09:47 - Apr 16 But this smells of a Norris situation and he used us to get a better deal. So Grant if thats what you're doing look where Norris will be shortly, he is ending up Div 1. I bet he leaves Pompey in the Summer the money grabbing Barsteward.
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daniel9624 added 09:49 - Apr 16 There are very few "clubmen" anymore, Scotland and Edwards are a rare breed nowadays!
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runningout added 09:53 - Apr 16 sorry... Scotland and Edwards are not what I would call clubmen... dont think they think they are either....
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runningout added 10:00 - Apr 16 let Mr Leadbitter go, if he is dilly and dallying around... if he wants to try his luck elsewhere then so be it : )
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bluelady added 10:00 - Apr 16 we offered Grant new terms beginning of the season to stop this happening, however when he didnt sign them maybe we should have moved him on in Jan. Jas if teams wanna pay his current over inflated wages then good luck to them! I doubt he has been offered 2/3 less than he is currently on, unless we really are not bothered about keeping him. I have a very sneaky feeling Norris may make a return here, i know it wont be too popular but its just something i heard on the grapevine...............

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Superfrans added 10:01 - Apr 16 Depends what we mean by club-men - Edwards has played more matches for us now than any club since he played for Wrexham at the start of his career. He is the nearest we have now - we signed him three years ago, he's been a consistent performer and has chosen to stay rather than go anywhere else. As for Grant, I hope he doesn't go. But it is right that he lets us knows his plans - and if they are not at Portman Road, he shouldn't play again this season.

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bluelady added 10:08 - Apr 16 i guess that is where PJ is coming from SuperFranz, probably has a target in mind if Grant is going and if he says he is def going then he will drop him (i hope!).
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BluePG added 10:09 - Apr 16 I blame Jean-Marc Bosman.
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Bourne_Blue added 10:10 - Apr 16 Paddy39 just to make you aware that Norris left because of the money. He was happy with the wage that was offered it was the fact he wanted 3 years and ITFC would only offer 2! I personally hope Leadboots goes the only reason he has been playing well this last month is so he can attract clubs for next season. This last month he has been the best player in the team but for the rest of the time he simply hasnt been good enough he has let others carry him through games.

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muhrensleftfoot added 10:10 - Apr 16 I imagine that if Middlesbrough have offered him a contract, he'll go there, unless we offer substantially better deal. He'll be closer to his family and roots, and on paper at least, they would seem to have better long term prospects than us, even if they don't make the play-offs this season & if they do get to the play-offs, he could be playing PL football next season.

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jas0999 added 10:32 - Apr 16 bluelady - the point I am making is would you accept a 2/3 pay cut ... honestly? I am not saying whether his salary is right or wrong - just other clubs will offer him more. Just like Norris and McAuley. If we had no intention of keeping him, then surely we would have been better to sell last Summer? The point is we have made the same errors again this year. I just hope PJ has a replacement in mind ... particularly as Bowyer is likely to leave and I doubt we will be able to afford to keep Murphy ... ---------------------------------------- Re Edwards/Scotland - completely different situations. Two players at the end of their careers, who will probably not get a better deal and have had many years of high earnings. Having said that, I don't think Scotland has signed a deal?? Leadbitter is a younger player who IMO should get the best deal for his family. Whether that be at ITFC or elsewhere.

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icetruckiller added 10:32 - Apr 16 He'll tell PJ he's off in the summer, pretty sure of that. Surely after PJ should drop him, but I fear he'll still play the remaining fixtures
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bluelady added 10:48 - Apr 16 but the point i am making Jas is who said it was 2/3? This is just yet another 'rumour' that is being kicked about. My other point is he is not worth the current high salary that Keane valued him at so unless he is willing to take a pay cut then bye bye. if another team are happy to pay him over inflated wages good luck to them. As for Norris think maybe he wishes he could turn back time?? As for not being able to afford Murphy, why? more rumours about his salary? Best thing is to sit back and wait and see what happens, and during the summer just take each new 'link' with a pinch of salt otherwise its going to be a very stressful time believeing absolutely everything that is said or written :-)

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im_marcacus added 11:19 - Apr 16 Good riddance to his utterly sh1te set pieces!
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havinit69 added 11:22 - Apr 16 Jas, what makes you think it is as simple as just selling him?! - If I was on his current wage and had an offer on the table that I weren't happy with but knew that I had to sit on it for a year and potentially have lots of options at the end of it then I don't think I would do any different to what he has done. Both parties have to agree to a sale, not just ITFC!! In the Time Leadbitter has been here, he has been less than average, except for the last third of the season when his contract is up and he is putting himself in the shop window. I would much rather see the back of him and move on.

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Surco72 added 11:36 - Apr 16 Jas .. as others have said nobody wanted Leadbitter last summer or even in January as he has been average to poor for two and a half seasons on way over the top wages . Another poor overall purchase by Keane whose eye for talent is questionable again as recently proved saying "the current Arsenal team are the worst he had ever seen " ,is that before they tore apart Spurs , beat City comfortably and have been sat at the top of the form table for the whole league Roy ?

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righty added 11:45 - Apr 16 Bluelady shows you know nothing about ITFC RK had nothing to do with contracts it was left to Mr Clegg so dont just blame Keane for everything and surely after what happened last season Jewell or Clegg should have told Leadbitter to sign or go common sense I would have thought
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bluelady added 12:07 - Apr 16 I bow to you Righty you clearly know so much about football. "Leadbitter go now, no one has put an offer in for you as you are playing well below your pottential but we both want you to leave right now please and close the door behind you" I am not blaming keane for everything, in fact along with Jas i did support him for a great deal of his tenure before i finally realised he was not the manager for our club, the way i have given ALL our managers time. some on here however have double standards, backing the likes of Keane till the bitter end but then giving PJ a matter of weeks before the knives came out, i was simply making that point in my post, but i wouldnt expect you to be able to work that out.

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alfromcol added 12:11 - Apr 16 righty So you think its as simple as that. Sign or go! It may be common sense but if Leadbitter didn't want to go at that time he could sit tight as he has done. He couldn't be sacked without Town paying up his contract - an even more expensive option than getting games out of him while his contract runs down.
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itfc94 added 12:14 - Apr 16 Or just tell him to do one because at the end of the day, this guy is pony! Obviously thinks he can find more money somewhere else, do one Grant. Your poop anyways
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brendanh added 12:39 - Apr 16 Cause or coincidence? We were on course for a playoff finish this season until Leadboots' return. He had no interest in playing until his contract was up. He's desperately overcautious in his passing. Until a month or two ago, he couldn't hit a cow's arse with a barn door (or something). I'd take Hyam instead every day of the week. Hyam is better defensively and knows his role better: to break up play and give it to someone creative. Leadbitter isn't creative enough, but thinks he is. Plus doesn't pressure the ball in defensive midfield as well as Hyam. Get rid and spend the money better elsewhere.

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