MARTIJN Reuser is likely to pocket at least £300,000 from Ipswich if he joins Dutch club Willem II.The 29-year-old midfielder's return to Holland is dependent on him thrashing out a suitable compensation deal with Town.

By Mel Henderson

MARTIJN Reuser is likely to pocket at least £300,000 from Ipswich if he joins Dutch club Willem II.

The 29-year-old midfielder's return to Holland is dependent on him thrashing out a suitable compensation deal with Town.

Chairman David Sheepshanks is negotiating with the player and his agent on the remaining year of his lucrative Portman Road contract.

Reuser, who cost £1million from Ajax in 2000, has openly stated his intention to return home and is currently in talks with the club based in Tilburg, close to Eindhoven, who finished seventh in the Dutch League last season.

But he is understandably reluctant to walk away from a contract still worth in the region of £600,000.

It is a similar situation to that involving Finidi George, the Nigerian international who collected a £1million pay-off when he quit Ipswich last summer with two years of his contract still to run.

Reuser is likely to be paid in the region of £300,000, approximately half what the club would have to fork out if he remained on the payroll next season.

Town's monthly board meeting today could sanction the compensation figure to be paid to Reuser in order to help him on his way.

Ironically, if the player capped once by Holland prior to his arrival at Ipswich does sign for Willem II, his early games will be in England.

They are committed to a pre-season tour that will see them play Grimsby, Gillingham and Rushden & Diamonds on July 26, 28 and 30 respectively.

Meanwhile, Town boss Joe Royle confirmed today that he has no intention of making firm moves for new players until he knows exactly who is going to be available to him next term. He remains confident that out-of-contract stars Fabian Wilnis, Richard Naylor and Jim Magilton will all put pen to paper on new 12-month deals before the end of the week.

But there is no guarantee that experienced defender Chris Makin will be staying with Town after he rejected their two-month contract offer.

The club are reluctant to commit themselves to a year-long deal until the 31-year-old former Sunderland star, sidelined for most of last season, has been able to prove his fitness.

Royle said: “I saw Chris yesterday and he wants to speak to his agent. We are due to have another chat tomorrow.

“I don't anticipate too many problems with Fabian, Richard and Jim. But if, say, Fabian and Chris

didn't both sign new contracts we'd be down to one full-back and I would have to get another one in pretty quickly.”

Out-of-contract Crewe skipper Dave Brammer is one name on Royle's short list of possible targets after he said yesterday that his priority was to bring in a new midfielder.