FABIAN Wilnis last night said he wants to stay at Ipswich Town and help them back into the Premiership.The Dutch defender will meet with Joe Royle later this week to go over the final points of a new 12-month contract but exclusively revealed to the EADT that he will be happy to sign once he has chatted further with the Blues boss.

FABIAN Wilnis last night said he wants to stay at Ipswich Town and help them back into the Premiership.

The Dutch defender will meet with Joe Royle later this week to go over the final points of a new 12-month contract but exclusively revealed to the EADT that he will be happy to sign once he has chatted further with the Blues boss.

He said: "I would love to stay here at Ipswich. Since the new manager has come in I have really enjoyed my football and I'm happy enough with what has been offered.

"I can't say much more until I have spoken with the manager, which I have not been able to do until this week as he has been away.

"There is no reason for me not to stay, but I just want to go over a couple of things with him before signing."

No new deals can be done until the club comes out of administration, probably in the first week of June, but Wilnis admits having things sorted before he goes on a family holiday will help him relax in the summer and help his pre-season preparation.

Wilnis, who has been a regular as a right-sided defender ever since Royle's arrival in October, was in the top three for the Supporters' Player of the Year, a factor in his decision.

He said: "The supporters here have been brilliant to me. They continue to surprise me with their support and generous praise. It is important to me to know I'm so highly thought of by them."

Royle will meet with Richard Naylor this week to offer him his new contract after the pair missed each other at the end of the season due to the all-rounder getting treatment on a knee injury.

The Blues will also hope to get an answer next month from midfielder Jim Magilton, who has moved house to the north-west after selling his Ipswich home.

Royle is hopeful the Irishman will still accept the new deal although Town face competition from Wigan, Tranmere and Port Vale.

Royle was mixing business with pleasure last night at the Nottingham Moat House as the League Managers' Association held their annual dinner.

It was another chance for Royle to network, although the former Oldham Athletic, Everton and Manchester City boss already has an amazing array of personal friends and contacts within the game.

Ulrich le Pen revealed on a French website that he is in talks with Guingamp while there continues to be uncertainty over his future at Racing Strasbourg. Le Pen is on loan to Strasbourg until the end of the season and Ipswich Town have continuously made it clear he is free to leave Portman Road on a permanent basis.

If he does not find another club in the next six weeks he will be expected to report for pre-season training on July 2. It is the same for keeper Matteo Sereni, who is on loan at Brescia. The Blues expect a transfer fee for their club record signing at £4.8m, although the former Sampdoria stopper is keen to fix himself up in either Italy or Spain.

Royle said: "Nothing has really changed. We are still waiting to hear something concrete regarding both players."