When the final decisions are set to be made on Blackpool's out of contract players
Blackpool have eight players out of contract this summer- with some big decisions set to be made.
Richard O’Donnell, James Husband, Marvin Ekpiteta, Callum Connolly, Matty Virtue and Shayne Lavery are all reaching the end of their current deals at Bloomfield Road, while Sonny Carey and Mackenzie Chapman are in similar positions, with the pair having one year options available.
The outcomes of any talks are expected to be finalised in the next few weeks, with the Seasiders’ League One campaign now over, after their 3-2 defeat to Reading at the weekend ended their play-off hopes.
"There’s always a deadline where you’ve got to speak to out of contract players,” said Blackpool boss Neil Critchley.
"It’s something I’ve done here before. Good news, bad news, indifferent news- you sit in front of the players face to face and you have those discussions. At some point those talks will take place.”
Following the loss at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, Critchley stated the natural cycle of the current Seasiders squad was coming to an end, with the club looking to rebuild this summer, which could spell the end for a number of players on the out of contract list.
One of Blackpool’s current longest serving players is Husband, who initially made the move to Bloomfield Road on loan in 2019, before making the deal permanent.
Discussing his future last week, he said: “It’s well documented that me and the gaffer get on quite well and we have the same views of what we want. At the moment it’s not my place to say, it’s one of those questions you’ll ask, but you’ll get the same answers.
“There’s always speculation around football clubs at this time of year, but my focus is just Saturday. I’ve already had conversations with the manager, but things will progress over the summer and we’ll see what happens. It’s not for me to say anything, it’s about whatever happens. I’m aware of the speculation, but it’s just a case of reflecting when there’s free time."