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Five freed, but Keane won't let key pair go
ON a day when manager Roy Keane described Kenwyne Jones and Craig Gordon as Sunderland's only untouchables, the first five casualties of a summer clear-out at the Stadium of Light were named.
With the angst he felt following last weekend's defeat at Bolton fresh in his mind, Keane has informed Ian Harte, Stephen Wright, Andrew Cole, Stanislav Varga and Peter Hartley that their contracts will not be renewed.
The quintet's departures will not be the last. Keane will be looking to move on a number of contracted players during the close season, provided he has a fruitful meeting with chairman Niall Quinn and chief executive Peter Walker next week.
But while he could be willing to listen to offers for most of his first team squad, he insists that under no circumstances will he be prepared to offload either Jones or Gordon.
Jones has attracted interest from Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, while Liverpool are understood to be looking to make a firm offer.
Keane, however, has no desire to lose his £6m buy from Southampton last summer, at whatever price, and his feelings are similar for any club who might be interested in making a 'silly offer' for goalkeeper Gordon.
"Kenwyne is a player we have no intention of letting go," said Keane. "He's not for sale. When you look at Kenwyne and our goalkeeper, there are certain players who you think are definitely not going anywhere.
"There are certain players who are untouchable. Sometimes clubs might have a Wayne Rooney and think they'll get £20m or £30m to invest and that it's a good deal for everybody, but it certainly wouldn't be a good deal for us to let one or two players go, like Kenwyne or our goalkeeper.
"They are no gos, because it would set us back a hell of a lot of time, even if we got crazy money for them. It's all ifs and ands. If an offer comes in you have to sit down with the player. Kenwyne and Craig are on long term contracts."
Jones, who has eight goals during a campaign that has seen him play with a variety of different strike partners, insists he is in no rush to move on.
"It's flattering that clubs are interested in me but at the moment I can't say anything," he said. "I'm focused on my job that I have to do here. Changes do happen at a football club - it's a part of life.
"We'll just have to wait and see what happens. You don't want to be a gypsy-type player where you're moving from one place to another and not settling. Hopefully I'll be here for a long time."
Gordon has endured a topsy-turvy first season since his £9m move from Hearts last summer which broke the British transfer record for a goalkeeper.
But, after a difficult start, he has firmly established himself as one of the hottest goalkeeper prospects in the Premier League after improving ever since he conceded seven in a crushing defeat to Everton in November.
Keane said: "He's a brilliant goalkeeper. He's a young man. This year he's done OK for us, but I've no doubt that in the next few years he will become one of the best in world, if not the best.
"What he's lacking at the moment is experience, particularly in the Premier League.
"He played at Hearts for Scotland, but there's no bigger test for a goalkeeper, particularly in our team this season, he has been tested. He really has. We could have done with two keepers.
"Biggest plusses for our first year in the division have been him and Kenwyne. Our players have so much to learn, but the good thing with them is that I look at them and they want to learn, and I'm not sure what some of the others want that."
With the exception of Dwight Yorke and Grant Leadbitter, and possibly Daryl Murphy, there are no other contract issues pressing
3:03am Friday 9th May 2008
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