Joey Barton is hoping for a resolution to contract talks with Antony Evans in the next "seven to 10 days" but admits the midfielder has a number of suitors across the EFL.
Evans wasn’t included on Rovers’ retained list, which was published on Thursday, confirming the exits of 13 players, including Glenn Whelan, Cian Harries, Brett Pitman and Leon Clarke.
The 23-year-old is out of contract next month and talks over a new deal effectively began at the start of the year but Barton and Evans indicated a resolution, either way, wouldn’t take place until the end of the season when the Gas knew which division they’d be playing in.
Evans has been a pivotal player in Barton’s team since arriving on a free transfer last summer following his release from German side Paderborn. The Everton academy graduate has scored 10 goals and added 12 assists in 35 League Two appearances.
"We're speaking with Antony at the minute. Obviously, as you can imagine, from his perspective, he's taking stock and seeing where he's at," Barton told BBC Radio Bristol. "He'll have plenty of suitors but we think we've shown him the platform and he can be a major player for us in League One next season.
"We intend to do as well as we can next year and to have a really good start in that market we would have to retain some of the talent that we've had this season.
"But, again, there are moving parts on that. We're in discussions with Antony and his agent and we're hoping to get in the next week to 10 days some closure, one way or the other. But we remain optimistic that Evo wants to spearhead a successful season for us next season."
Evans has been bombarded with messages from Gasheads on his social media channels every time he posts, willing him to sign new terms after a stunning breakout campaign for the quarters. Barton has previously commented how underpaid the midfielder is given his contribution and importance to the team.
With Rovers rising a division so should their wage budget be elevated and the manager insists that through Wael Al-Qadi's investment and the rise in matchday revenues, they are in a position to offer their best talent competitive salaries for the third tier.
Winger Sam Nicholson is in a similar position as Evans, with Barton accepting there is interest in the Scot, as was the case last summer when he dropped down with the Gas from League One to League Two but remained in north Bristol.
"We're in discussions with (Sammy), but these lads are good players and have had other clubs enquire about them," Barton added. "We'll sit down with their agents in the next period and hopefully start to firm up who's going to be on the journey with us next year and who will go onto new things.
"You have to decompress from the season. At that point, usually agents get in players ears and say, 'look, I've got this club on, or that club on', especially when you're out of contract because we're in a very competitive marketplace.
"For us, it's about players wanting to be here. We'll have capabilities to pay players well for the level we'll be at, because we have got such a fantastic owner and because we have a big fanbase who have started to buy season tickets already and that allows us to be aggressive in the marketplace.
"But we don't intend to just take part next season, we're going to get after the division. We've got a good side and if we can keep a lot of that together, that will help us with the continuity. If not, we've got good contacts in good areas and I'm sure we'll build a good competitive football team next season."
Sign up for our newsletter for more exclusive Bristol Rovers content
