Deal or no deal?

KEVIN MAHER (left) out of contract soon

IT will almost certainly be a summer of massive change at Boundary Park where 10 of Athletic's players are out of contract.

Big decisions will have to be made by Joe Royle or whoever is in charge as to the future of almost a complete team.

One of the 10 definitely leaving is 18-goal top scorer Lee Hughes, who is at the end of his two-year contract.

Hughes was the subject of considerable transfer speculation in the January transfer window when he rejected a move to Doncaster Rovers.

Athletic offered Hughes a new two-year deal which would have made him the club's highest-paid player but, after he failed to accept it, it was withdrawn.

The general consensus was that the 32-year-old Hughes would hang fire until the summer and leave as a free agent.

But Hughes – who is being linked with a summer move to Leicester City – and has already been deemed surplus to requirements and has been loaned to Championship club Blackpool for the rest of the season.

The other nine Athletic players whose futures are in doubt are:

MARK ALLOTT - The 31-year-old midfield man captured many of last season's player-of-the-year awards on his return for a second spell at Boundary Park and is a model of consistency. It would be a major surprise if he were not offered a new deal.

JOSH BELL – The teenage goalkeeper is a first-year professional, but he has yet to feature in the senior team so is future is in doubt.

MARK CROSSLEY – The goalkeeper, who will soon celebrate his 40th birthday, is recovering from back surgery but is keen to carry on playing. Crossley has indicated he would like to stay primarily as goalkeeping coach and as a No. 2.

SEAN GREGAN – The 35-year-old defender and Athletic captain remains an influential figure in the team, although age will obviously be a major factor. The most likely scanario is that he will be offered a 12-month deal.

J P KALALA – Unless there is a dramatic change, he will be leaving. Kalala has spent most of the season on the transfer list after being told by John Sheridan he did not feature in his plans and is on an extended loan at Grimsby Town.

ANDY LIDDELL – After scoring eight goals by December, the 35-year-old has found himself used only sparingly in a frustrating second half to the campaign, thereby raising question marks over his future.

KEVIN MAHER – John Sheridan made a massive effort to capture the 32-year-old midfield man then hardly played him as he opted for Allott and Danny Whitaker as his central-midfield pairing. Whenever Maher has played, he has looked a quality performer.

STEFAN STAM – Possibly the unluckiest player in the squad. Stam was a regular until picking up an injury at Christmas and then struggled to find a way back as Gregan and Reuben Hazell formed a solid central-defensive partnership.

MATTY WOLFENDEN: These are a massively-important few weeks for the 21-year-old striker, who has had another injury-plagued campaign. Wolfenden is back in full training and needs to impress to earn a new deal.

It will also be interesting to see what the future holds for striker Chris O'Grady, who was brought in by Sheridan last summer and promptly jettisoned.

O'Grady, who is under contract until June, 2010, with the option of a further year beyond that, has spent most of the season on loan at Bury, Bradford and Stockport.

Likewise, Sheridan also signed Kieran Lee and Dale Stephens last summer and they, too, have hardly had a sniff. They also have a futher year left on their contracts.

As it stands, Athletic have 12 players who appear certain to be staying and of those O'Grady, Lee, Stephens and Paul Black are peripheral figures.

The remaining eight are Chris Taylor, Hazell, Greg Fleming, Deane Smalley, Lewis Alessandra, Kelvin Lomax, Danny Whitaker and Neal Eardley.