Mellon: Town can't afford to keep everyone

The Town boss wants to extend the deals of Jermaine Grandison, Andy Mangan, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro and Blackpool loanee Bobby Grant.

But with the budget proving tight and Mellon still anxious to recruit two or three more new faces, it's unlikely he will keep the four.

Mellon does, however, harbour hopes of retaining youngsters Shaun Rowley and Josh Ginnelly.

He said: "I'd love to bring all of them back because I think they'd all do really well for us next season.

"But the pie is only so big and I can't grow it or make it any bigger."It's the same with Jean-Louis, Jermaine and Bobby Grant – we haven't got the finances to keep all of them."

Mellon admits he has other priorities ahead of bringing in another striker, with a right-back signing imminent and a left-winger also on his wish list.

He said: "I had a meeting with the chairman and the board yesterday and we need to improve in other areas before I bring in another striker.

"If things change and someone like Mangan was still available, I'd love to bring him back – but I just don't have the finances.

"I don't want to be coming across as making excuses, but we'll have one of the smallest budgets in the league and we have to make sure we spend wisely. But we will be competitive."

Financial Fair Play rules mean League One clubs can spend only 60 per cent of their turnover on players' wages.

Mellon said: "I want to be as transparent as possible with the fans and I'd love to keep all of the players who are out of contract.

"But we only have a certain amount in the budget and we have to take into consideration Financial Fair Play.

"They've all done brilliantly for me and probably all deserve to stay but, at the end of the season, the 15 players who stayed all got a wage rise and that ate into any money to either retain or bring new players in."