Attention turns to player contracts

Photo: Alan Howarth

SO CLOSE . . . James Wesolowski fires in a shot at the Carlisle goal. The Australian midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season.

CONTRACT talks for next season’s Athletic squad will get underway later this week — when chairman Simon Corney tells manager Lee Johnson how much he has to spend.

Athletic guaranteed their Sky Bet League One status with a 1-0 win at Carlisle on Saturday, James Dayton getting the only goal of the game.

With the club currently on an eight-match unbeaten run, Johnson said he would like to retain the bulk of the players who have contributed to recent successes.

But he warned that the cost of the new North Stand and the probability of rival offers — particularly for high-profile out-of-contract duo Jonathan Grounds and James Wesolowski — could have an impact on that intention.

“When the chairman is over (from New York), we will sit down and go through the budget,” Johnson told the Chronicle. “I think there are a couple of players who will probably have suitors. You are looking at Jonathan Grounds and James Wesolowski, who have both had very good years. We’re keen to keep both of them, but we will have to see whether we can.

“Obviously there is the new stand and we can’t go chucking money about.”

Already three points better off than at the end of last season, with six points left to play for, Johnson believes Athletic have got significantly better recently.

“If we can add quality and keep the good ones we have got, that is evolution,” added the manager.

“It is easy to say now we have had a few good results, but I think we have improved. And this season was a tougher one in this division.”