JOSH CARSON, Michael Ingham and Tom Platt have been asked to confirm whether they will accept new terms at York City by next week.

The out-of-contract trio have been offered deals to stay at Bootham Crescent by Russ Wilcox but the Minstermen chief wants quick decisions to avoid missing out on potential back-up signings should they want to move elsewhere.

Wilcox said: “I’m sure they will look at what’s available out there for them and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s how these things work and the industry we are in but I need answers fairly quickly and probably by the start of next week.

“Hopefully, they will accept the contracts. If not, we’ll move on.

“It can’t drag on all summer because we might miss out on other targets that have been earmarked.”

Despite signalling his intention to sign a new goalkeeper, Wilcox also asserted that Ingham, who turns 35 this summer and has lost his regular place between the sticks over the last two seasons, will be in contention for a starting slot should he stay in North Yorkshire.

On Ingham’s potential future with the Minstermen, Wilcox said: “I don’t think somebody of his experience can ever be considered as just a back-up and, regardless of who I bring in, it will then be a battle for the shirt.

“He played a good part after Bobby (Olejnik)’s sending-off and I was really pleased with his approach to the big games we had late in the season when his experience came to the fore. If he does sign, I’ve no idea whether he will be number one or two.

“It would boil down to how hard he works and how much he wants it.”

Should Platt commit his future to the club next season, Wilcox is also hoping the 21-year-old midfielder can improve on a tally of seven league starts last term.

“I’ve got a lot of time for Tom and like him,” the City boss explained. “He works hard and is always looking to improve his game.

“He’s still only young and I think that gets forgotten a bit. He’s come through the youth system but has played a lot of games for his age and ticks a lot of boxes.

“If he signs, he’s got to look at pushing on and nailing down a regular spot in my team because he’s got all the attributes. He’s big, strong, two-footed, with a good range of passes and a goal in him.

“He’s still a work in progress but, hopefully, he will come back in pre-season and continue his development.”

Wilcox has revealed, meanwhile, that transfer-listed quartet Femi Ilesanmi, Marvin McCoy, Lindon Meikle and Jason Mooney will be welcomed back for pre-season if they cannot find another club and invited to prove themselves again.

“You are always looking to improve as a football club and we’re trying to do that,” Wilcox pointed out.

“I’ve told all the players I’ve got no issues with them as people and they are all good professionals but we’re just trying to change things around a little bit.

“If they don’t get fixed up and end up back here in pre-season, then I don’t have an issue with that if they get their heads down and work as hard as everybody else.

Football changes quickly and they could find themselves in a York City shirt again but they know the situation and we’ll have to wait and see.”

Wilcox admitted, though, that the extent of his summer rebuilding programme will be affected if the players do stay put.

“It’s hard to put a number on how many new players I would like because it will depend on how many of the transfer-listed players leave,” he said.

“If they all leave, then I can replace them but, otherwise, we’re not a club that can afford to throw money around and we’re not alone in League Two in that respect.”

The City boss also suggested that released striker Wes Fletcher’s services had been touted to other clubs during the second half of last season.

“Wes was free to leave under the Bosman ruling anyway and I think his agent has been very busy looking at pastures new since January,” he declared.