Swindon Town remain in discussions with two players as the wait for their retained list to be announced continues to drag on.
Following the end of the season, clubs in the EFL have begun sorting out their plans for next year by deciding on whether to keep their out-of-contract players, at present exactly half of League Two have announced their decisions by publishing their retained lists.
Swindon are yet to confirm theirs, although it has already been announced that Ollie Clarke, Lewis Ward, and Ryan Tafazolli will be part of next season.
Under EFL rules, Town have until this Friday to inform the players and the EFL of these decisions.
Ian Holloway, Clem Morfuni, and the Swindon hierarchy met to make these decisions last Thursday, and the players have been informed in the days since then, with 13 of the 18 out-of-contract players being told that they will be moving on, including Billy Bodin and Redman Evans, who have both announced their exits on social media.
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The wait now is around whether Harry Smith and Billy Kirkman will sign the deals that have been offered to them.
Smith told The Adver that he “one million per cent” wanted to remain at Swindon after an anterior cruciate ligament injury cut his season tragically short and also delayed a contract that he had been on the verge of signing at the time.
Interest is thought to exist in him elsewhere, although Town are still confident that he will agree to stay, and it is possible that the delay in his signing is due to him being on holiday, which he planned to do ahead of returning to action in pre-season, as was the case for Connor Ripley last summer.
Kirkman is also expected to commit to the club after two contrasting seasons since he stepped up from the Cymru Premier.
Following a loan to Weston-super-Mare, the 22-year-old demonstrated excellent potential in his first season, turning in a number of strong displays as he looked at home at League Two level; however, injuries and undulating form saw his second campaign be less of a success.
Swindon retain faith in his potential and believe he can be a cost-effective squad player next season, with his ability to play at left-back and centre-back, although Holloway said he wants to see him lock down a particular position.
Last season, Swindon had five players still in talks when they published their retained list, but they are looking to have everything tied up this time around.
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