Brown sure of Ricketts stay

Hull boss hopeful of agreeing deal extension with defender

By James Dall   Last updated: 1st July 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Brown sure of Ricketts stay

Ricketts: Tigers talks

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Hull City manager Phil Brown is confident defender Sam Ricketts will not leave the club this summer.

Ricketts' current contract expires next year, leading to suggestions Portsmouth and Everton could swoop for his services.

Brown, though, is hopeful of keeping the 27-year-old and confirmed that the Tigers are in the process of negotiating a new deal.

He said: "It is something that is ongoing and has been for six months - and something that will be ongoing for the next six months, I dare say.

"He has got another year left on his contract so I fully expect him to be in for pre-season training.

Targets

"There is nothing with regards to any of the players making any kind of move with regards to getting away."

Brown also outlined his plans to add to his squad, with Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune and Manchester United's Fraizer Campbell known targets.

He said: "At this moment in time I am quite happy with the squad I have got and I am trying to improve it by bringing in four or five quality Premier League players.

"It is difficult in a week that we could get five or six deals done but it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

"When I first arrived we did three in one day and last season we did three in one day as well."