Barnsley have today decided to withdraw their contract offer to midfielder Jacob Mellis, thus wavering any right to a compensation fee on his departure.
The Reds hierarchy offered the 23 year old a new deal at the start of the summer but after meeting the former Chelsea youngster and his parents on Friday they have decided to withdraw the offer after Mellis made it clear he saw his future elsewhere.
Had Mellis formally rejected the offer of a new contract and agreed terms with another club, Barnsley would have been due a compensation fee due to him being under the age of 24, but as they have initiated the withdrawal of the contract he will now be free to leave Oakwell.
A statement on the club’s website read:
Club Officials met with Jacob Mellis and his Parents on Friday 27 June. During the meeting it became clear that Jacob felt he needed a fresh challenge and that he would prefer to leave the Club than be part of the Club’s League One campaign.
The Club have therefore decided to withdraw the offer of a new contract to Jacob and he will now pursue opportunities away from Oakwell.
Jacob’s decision is disappointing after the opportunity that the Club afforded him over the last two seasons. However, the Club are only interested in having players completely committed to ensuring next season is as successful as possible and the Club ultimately return to the Championship.
Remarkably this means that all four first team players who were offered new deals at the club following relegation from the Championship- Mellis, Jim O’Brien, Tomasz Cywka and Stephen Dawson have all failed to agree terms and will now leave Oakwell following the expiry of their previous deals.