Boss says players have received written contracts and have a month deadline to commit.

David Artell has told the club’s official web-site that he has made written offers to a number of his first-team squad and he has set them a deadline of one month to decide if they wish to remain with the club. The Crewe Alexandra manager is hoping to conduct his business early this summer will not allow talks to stretch into the closed season.

Artell revealed to the club’s official web-site: “I have made written offers to a few of the players and have given them a month to decide what they want to do. I don’t know the exact date but it’s in the diary and I won’t shift from that.

“If they want to call my bluff on it then that is up to them and their agents. I hold the aces in the pack and after the deadline then we will assess it again and move on if we need to.

“If they want to leave, then that’s fine. They just have to man up and tell me. If they haven’t signed before the deadline then the decision has been made for them.”