Star players going nowhere

ASSISTANT manager Jimmy Bell has reiterated that Accrington Stanley won’t be forced into the sale of any key players in the January transfer window.

To date the club claim to have had no approaches for any of their playing staff and especially not for midfield star Jimmy Ryan, who is subject to constant speculation linking the former Liverpool man away from the Crown Ground.

Ryan, 22, will see his contract expire in the summer, but as he is under the age of 24, any potential buyers would have to pay Stanley a compensation fee.

Hopefully it won’t come to that though, as Vital Stanley sources close to the midfielder, believe that he is happy to stay in East Lancashire and is willing to pen an extension to his current deal.

Bell told the Lancashire Telegraph: ‘The big selling point would be Jimmy Ryan but we’ve had no enquires about him at all.’

He added: ‘Clubs would have to pay for him in the summer because he’s under 24, but we want to keep him and he’s happy here so I’m sure he will stay.

‘We just wanted to strengthen the squad with Ian (Craney) and Joe (Jacobson). We are tight with the budget and it might be that we have to let one or two out on loan in January, but we don’t want to sell anyone.’