By RICHARD WILLIAMS
16 April 2008
BRIAN
LITTLE today revealed that some current loan signings and players on short term
deals will not be offered anything permanent.
Little has brought in 11 players on
various deals since taking over as manager in November, but two – goalkeeper
Gavin Ward and midfielder Sam Aiston – both penned 18 month contracts in the
January transfer window.
The other nine will see their deals end either before or at the end of the
season and Little said it was only fair to inform them now if they were not
going to offered anything new.
"There are a lot of things going on and a lot of talking being done behind the
scenes," said Little today. "I have started to tell one or two we won't be
re-signing them.
"We have been honest enough with people what we will do next season. They
deserve to be told so they can sort themselves out somewhere else.
"They are all still involved but one or two won't be offered anything at the end
of their deals.
"Loan and short-term deal players have tried to help us. If we are not going to
re-sign them we have to help them by telling them so they or their agents can
start talking to other people."
A number of players in the Reds' squad Little inherited are also out of contract
at the end of the campaign while others have deals that run beyond the summer.
But Little, who has signed a new two-year deal which runs until the summer of
2010, has said some of those players under contract may be allowed to leave.
"We have to make changes at this club and there are all sorts of issues for me
to approach," added Little.
"Some players under contract might be given the chance to find something else.
And we might want to re-sign some players out of contract.
"I have to sit down with Martin, Brian and Joey, who work on the pro side of
things, and look at what sort of squad we will have for next season."