Ipswich Town have taken up their option to extend the contracts of four homegrown players by a further year.
The deals for Andre Dozzell, Armando Dobra, Brett McGavin and Harry Wright were all due to expire this summer but it’s understood the club have opted to trigger their option for a further 12 months.
Negotiations continue with Dozzell, Dobra and McGavin regarding new, long-term deals as the club look to tie down their best young players.
In Dobra’s case, that deal is understood to be close to completion and could be signed soon after the Ipswich players return to training amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The young Albanian international and McGavin both made their first-team debuts during the 2019/20 campaign, much of which goalkeeper Wright has spent sidelined with a knee injury.
He has been given a further year to prove himself.
MORE: Exit interview: Earl was the masked man who was a safe pair of hands in a struggling Ipswich Town teamNegotiations regarding a fresh multi-year deal for Dozzell have been ongoing for several months but have not reached a conclusion.
Dozzell, who burst onto the scene with a debut goal at Sheffield Wednesday in 2016, has made 15 appearances so far during 2019/20, scoring once. He made eight league starts, with two of those coming in the games immediately prior to football’s suspension due to the coronavirus crisis.
Five other Ipswich players - Cole Skuse, Gwion Edwards, Will Keane, Jordan Roberts and Danny Rowe - are also out of contract this summer and have options in their deals.
Skuse, who has been with the club since 2013, was negotiating fresh terms in recent weeks and has admitted it’s unlikely his option will be taken, while it remains to be seen what the club will decide regarding Edwards, Keane and Rowe. Roberts, currently on loan at Gillingham, is almost certain to be released.
Defender Josh Earl returned to parent club Preston North End earlier this week after the Blues opted not to extend the left-sider’s loan to cover a potential return to playing this summer.
That leaves goalkeeper Will Norris (Wolves) and set-piece specialist Luke Garbutt as the Blues’ two remaining loan players.
Their deals run out at the end of June with no decisions made regarding their future beyond then.
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