Everton cautious over contracts for older players

Everton will make it clear to Tomasz Radzinski and David Unsworth that they have gone as far as they are able with offers of new contracts.

Both players have been offered extensions to their current deals, Unsworth granted the second year he wanted when he turned down an initial offer earlier this season.

But Everton sources claim there is now a “policy” decision that players aged 30 or over will not be offered more than two-year extensions to their contracts.

It has also been made clear to manager David Moyes at a recent board meeting that there is no money available for summer transfers, despite him presenting a wish-list of players he would like to bring to Goodison Park this summer.

Striker Radzinski, who has been linked with Blackburn and Portsmouth, has one year left on his current deal and has been offered a two-year extension.

Moyes confirmed: “We have offered Tomasz Radzinski a new deal, as we have done with David Unsworth.

“We have offered them both two-year contracts. It is just a case now of waiting and seeing.”

Thomas Gravesen is also set to be offered a new deal over the summer, and Moyes is already scouring the continent in the hope of introducing some new faces to his squad for next season.

He added: “We are always ready and looking for things that can make the squad better. Everybody knows that finances are tight, and that decision ultimately cannot be made by me.”

The fact that no offers will be made to other Everton players out of contract this summer could well give Moyes and the board some leeway in terms of their wages budget for next season.

Definitely going are Steve Simonsen, Scot Gemmill, Paul Gerrard, Peter Clarke and Francis Jeffers. Niclas Alexandersson has already been allowed to return to Sweden.

With Everton’s Premiership status finally assured for next season, full-back Gary Naysmith has had a hernia operation to solve a problem which has dogged him for months.