HUDDERSFIELD Town owner Dean Hoyle has confirmed Gary Roberts has turned down a two-year contract extension with the club.
The chairman also revealed that because of the League I salary cap coming in for 2012-13 a clause in the new Roberts deal ensured that if Town don’t win promotion in the coming season his salary would go down.
Hoyle, a lifelong fan who has seen Town narrowly miss out on promotion for the last two years under manager Lee Clark, said the club have had inquiries about 27-year-old wingman Roberts but no firm offers.
League I rivals Sheffield Wednesday are the latest club said to be interested in the former Ipswich star. Leeds United and Southampton had previously been linked in the media.
"Gary was offered a deal which would have taken him through to 2014 but he has rejected that," said Hoyle.
"He is quite within his rights to do so, of course, and he is quite within his rights to play the final year of his contract and leave on a Bosman (for free).
"That’s the reality of football at the moment and with salary capping coming in, it means that should we not win promotion this season his salary would go down.
"In football generally this sort of thing will have to happen, and there will be a huge influx of players on the market and looking for clubs at the end of the forthcoming season because of the general economic situation and the salary cap."
The calculation Town must make is whether they are better off keeping Roberts, widely regarded as one of the best wingers in League I, for another shot at promotion and letting him leave on a Bosman, or whether they accept a suitable offer and look for a replacement.
From 2012-13, clubs will be able to spend only a percentage of their turnover in the transfer market.
That percentage has still to be decided but clubs like Town are already planning towards working within the new limits.
Hoyle added: "We are not against the salary cap because it’s necessary to keep clubs going in the longer term.
"It will place extra emphasis on bringing through younger players and if people really want their club to be successful, then they must turn up and provide the turnover which enables you to bring in better players."
