David Artell says that the club have made an offer to midfielder James Jones and that no deadline on an answer has been imposed yet.
Jones, 24, has made 185 appearances for the club since breaking through the Academy and he reclaimed a starting spot in the second half of last season following a hernia injury to Tom Lowery.
The former Scotland Under-21 International had returned to form and his performances warranted the offer of a new contract.
Jones would be available on a free transfer at the end of his current contract.
Artell is hopeful that the club can come to an agreement with the prospect of League One football back on the horizon for Jones.
Artell told crewealex.net: "I left a message for him yesterday (Monday) but he's not got back to me. I left enough time for him to digest what the offer is and we're waiting to hear back.
"Some clubs have given players 14 days to give an answer, and we've done that in the past.
"But in the current climate I don't think a time limit is fair. I don't want the players to feel as though we are putting a gun to their heads because we don't want unhappy players. They have to be comfortable in signing.”