Shrewsbury Town: Paul Hurst waits on contract offers to four players

Paul Hurst's Shrewsbury finished a point better off than predecessor Micky Mellon a year ago

Shrewsbury boss Paul Hurst is still waiting to hear back on the offers made to four players as he prepares to rebuild his squad for Town's third successive season in League One.

How many of them opt to stay determines just how much incoming business Hurst must do at the Meadow this summer.

"It's about getting value for money," Hurst told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"You always want more. But the business I've done in the main has been good. People say I'm conscientious."

He added: "We're never going to have the biggest budget in this league, we know that. But I knew that when I first came.

"As much as you can, you treat it like it's your own money."

Hurst's retained list at the Greenhous Meadow

Hurst wants to keep hold of the Shropshire club's player of the year Mat Sadler, 32, and winger Shaun Whalley, 29.

He also offered deals to teenage keeper Shaun Rowley and 21-year-old midfielder Bryn Morris, who came from Middlesbrough in mid-season.

But he has released number two keeper Mark Halstead, 26, and three younger players - Kaiman Anderson, 20, Callum Grogan, 19, and Ethan Jones, 19.

Six loan players have returned to their clubs - Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates, 19, strikers Freddie Ladapo, 24, (Crystal Palace), Tyler Roberts, 18, (West Bromwich Albion), Stefan Payne, 25, (Barnsley) and Steve Humphrys, 19, who returns to Fulham, along with right-back Jack Grimmer.

And speculation continues over the future of defenders Olly Lancashire and Ryan McGivern, midfielders Adam El Abd and Jim O'Brien, who finished the season in Scotland on loan at Ross County and striker AJ Leitch-Smith.

Shrewsbury finished 18th in the 2016-17 season, an improvement of only one point, but two places better than their 20th-placed finish in 2015-16.

Analysis

BBC Radio Shropshire's Shrewsbury match summariser Mark Elliott

"Shrewsbury Town have spent four of the past five seasons in League One, but the club has never managed to build a squad capable of competing during a summer transfer window.

"That's left them scrambling for enough points to avoid relegation in each of those seasons, whilst a succession of managers have sought to patch up squads lacking in quality with short-term loan signings.

"The summer is the time to buy and build for the long term, with good players out of contract and plenty of talent looking for a new home.

"But, to make the most of it and avoid another season of struggle, Paul Hurst will need to get off the payroll a number of underperforming first-team players signed by former manager Micky Mellon."