Crunch talks

REGULAR STARTER . . . Timothee Dieng

ATHLETIC are set for crunch contract talks with a host of first-team regulars, amid renewed speculation over the future of manager John Sheridan.

Mike Jones and Joseph Mills are the two most experienced players to have been told their services are no longer required, with options taken up to extend the deals of star goalkeeper Joel Coleman and young duo George Edmundson and Danny Byrnes for a
further 12 months.

There has already been an expression of interest in Jones, while Mills could now head to Bury for a trial.

Also leaving SportsDirect.com Park are David Cornell, Rhys Turner, Jordan Bove, Jack Truelove and Theo Vassell.

Cornell (25) has had a tough season with Athletic. He was first-choice goalkeeper during David Dunn’s short tenure, but made some crucial errors.

Turner started in the opening-day draw at Walsall, but only twice for the club since then. The 20-year-old striker, signed for £20,000 from Stockport, netted once in 10 appearances for York and saw a further loan at Macclesfield ended by injury.

Bove and Truelove have both been out on loan in non-league this season, without making a first-team showing for Athletic, while Vassell did not play either despite being hailed as a big talent when brought in by Dunn.

Athletic are continuing talks with nine players.

In the case of Lee Croft, Timothee Dieng, Jack Tuohy and Carl Winchester, all of those players had options available for their current deals to be extended for a year by Athletic. They will be discussing revised terms instead.

The club are also talking with strike duo Jonathan Forte and Dominic Poleon ­— the latter player has again been linked with a move to Scotland ­— and defensive trio Anthony Gerrard, Brian Wilson and James Wilson.

It adds up to a huge amount of work in the summer player market if those talks fail to bear fruit.

Athletic only have seven professionals signed on for 2016-17 so far. Coleman and captain Liam Kelly head that list, but it also features out-of-favour trio Connor Brown, Rhys Murphy and Jake Cassidy.

National media are reporting that Sheridan ­— who held discussions over the retained list, issued yesterday, on Tuesday night ­— has had two rounds of talks with Leeds United.

As it stands, Athletic have not issued a hands-off statement similar to that when Bolton were recently linked with a swoop.

“Planning is already well under way for next season and everyone at the club is looking forward to preparing for the 2016-17 campaign with John at the helm,” read a statement issued on April 25. The club will not be commenting further on this matter.”

Sheridan remains 1-6 favourite to be in charge at Elland Road for the start of next season, with the current manager Steve Evans’ contract expiring on June 30.