March 25 2004

Julian Gray

Iain Dowie has revealed Palace chairman Simon Jordan wants Julian Gray to stay at the club and is set offer him an improved deal, by Joseph O'Shea.

The out-of-contract 24-year-old angered his chairman when he refused an improved offer and walked out on Palace in the summer, believing he could secure a move to the Premiership.

The former Arsenal winger, signed for £500,000 in July 2000 is free to leave in July, but Dowie is hopeful of persuading him to sign on better terms.

The Palace boss held a budget meeting with Jordan on Monday night and they agreed that keeping Gray is a priority.

Dowie said: "I have had talks with Julian and reiterated that I am desperate for him to stay and we will be making him an offer. I talked to the chairman about that last night and he too wants him to stay."

In October, Jordan said he was "sick of the sight of" the player, who "think he’s too good for us", but Gray's trials with Leeds, Charlton, Bundesliga side Hannover 96, Blackburn and a loan spell at Cardiff City came to nothing and he was forced to return.

He won his place back in December and has been a key ingredient in the club's revival. Of the 15 league games he has played, Palace won ten and drew three, not bad for a side which only won five of 22 games without him.

Dowie said: "The chairman has allowed me to get on with what I am doing and Julian is at the heart of it. He wants Julian to stay and we talked about the deal. It will be at the top end of the deals we offer - for sure."

Gray is one of nine players out-of-contract in the summer, alongside Michael Hughes, Aki Riihilahti, Tony Popovic, Jamie Smith, Kit Symons, Gavin Heeroo, Ben Surey and Curtis Fleming who is already looking for a new club.

Dowie said: "They are my decisions to make, but obviously the chairman decides the finances of the contract offers, with my guidance and me pushing him as hard as I can. The decisions have been made and when and if we make the offers we will do so privately."

Some of the better paid players may have to take a pay cut if they want to stay.

Dowie added: "I am having to deal with finances that have been brought in by other managers and there is one or two that are on decent contracts that will need to be adjusted."

YTS trainee Ben Watson rejected the first professional contract offered by the club in October, but will now be offered improved terms.

Dowie added: "The chairman and I came to an agreement and I will put that to Ben and see what he says. I think he will be happy with that, I would be amazed if he wasn’t.

"Tom Soares is going to sign as a pro as soon as, I think he’s got a big future."

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