Stating a case for the defence

Adam Lockwood

ATHLETIC’S defensive options for next season remain unclear, with the club waiting on answers on contract offers.

Centre-back pair George Elokobi and Adam Lockwood have deals which expire at the end of next month and have not yet provided an answer as to whether they will sign fresh deals or not.

With new manager Darren Kelly keen to recruit a defensive leader at the back, there is some hope that Anthony Gerrard will come back to the club on a permanent deal.

The defender — a no-nonsense, vocal presence while on loan from Huddersfield — may be out of the club’s price bracket when it comes to wages.

Kelly’s assistant Dean Holden says that work continues behind the scenes to identify replacements and alternatives, should those offered deals decide against coming back to SportsDirect.com Park.

“I have been talking to the gaffer five times a day, be it by phone or face-to-face, so we are in constant contact,” Holden told the Chronicle.

“We are trying to balance it up so that if the players don’t accept contracts, then we are ready with targets that can replace them.

“We have got Lee Croft in early, which is positive.

“As a player, I always liked to get things in place early so that I could go away on holiday and switch off my phone. But everyone is different.

“Using Anthony Gerrard as an example, he might be in a position where he wants to see what is available to him at the end of the summer.”

At the top of Athletic’s ‘wanted’ list at present is a goalkeeper to rival Joel Coleman, a leader at the back and a striker.

With 17 senior professionals already contracted for next season, it is a case of evolution rather than revolution in shaping a first-team squad — unlike plenty of rivals throughout the Football League.

“If the lads we have offered deals to accept there won’t be too many coming in,” Holden added.

“We have to prepare as if they won’t accept — and we are making inroads in the players that could be available to us.

“Nobody in the squad is irreplaceable and that goes for virtually every club in League One.

“It is frightening, really, the list of players who are on the market. It gets bigger every year.

“There are some very good players being released as well.”