Danny Cowley on Cameron McGeehan and Noah Chilvers

But the U’s head coach says they will have contingency plans in place, should either or both players decide to quit the JobServe Community Stadium.

Both McGeehan and Chilvers, who were regulars for Colchester last season, are out of contract this summer and have been offered new deals by the club.

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The U’s are still awaiting a final answer from the duo but boss Cowley has stressed they are clear on who they want to bring in, should there be departures.

Cowley said: “We’d like to keep both players.

“We’ve made offers to both players and put our best foot forward.

“Both players have slightly different circumstances.

“It’s for us to understand the circumstances, to make sure that we’ve done our due diligence so that if we’re not able to re-sign Cameron McGeehan, we have our contingencies and if we’re not able to sign Noah Chilvers we have our contingencies and in the other areas where we want to strengthen, we have clarity over exactly the type of players that we want to bring to the football club.”

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

McGeehan was one of Colchester’s most effective players last season, after joining them on a free transfer, last September.

The experienced 29-year-old made 39 league and cup appearances for the U’s in the 2023-24 campaign, scoring ten goals.

McGeehan took to social media last month to state that he was unsure what is next for him and has been linked with a move to League One side, Charlton Athletic.

Cowley said: “I think every year Cam McGeehan has played in League Two, he’s scored ten goals plus.

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“His profile as a player really suits how we play.

“He gives you an incredible amount of power, a lot of aggression, a lot of energy, a lot of intensity both with and against the ball.

“We’d like him to stay.

“An offer has been made and there’s a time frame on that offer, as there is with all of the offers that we make to players.

“I think at the moment, he’s considering his options which he’s well in his rights to do.

“I spoke to him earlier this week and he’d just come back from a holiday and we’ll see how that one unfolds.”

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

Chilvers is due to see his current Colchester contract expire at the end of the month and has been offered a new deal by the club.

The former U’s academy player is under the age of 24, so Colchester would require compensation for him, should he decide to move on.

“Noah is a boy who’s been here since I think nine years of age,” added Cowley.

“He’s a player with a huge amount of talent.

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“He’s done brilliantly for this football club from the moment he stepped into the first team.

“We think we know how to get the best out of Noah on a consistent basis; we definitely think there’s more goal involvement, whether that be assists or goals scored than maybe we saw from him, last year.

“We’d like Noah to stay.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

“His situation is a little bit different, as he’s under the age of 24 so even if an agreement can’t be made between us and the player, then we still hold the rights and would require compensation, if he went elsewhere.

“That one is slightly different in that there’s not a time frame on it.

“That one I’d imagine will unfold but of course for the supporters, for Nicky and I, for everybody connected with the club, we’d like all these decisions made really quickly so we know where we are at.

“But we’re obviously dealing with human beings and we understand that it’s not always possible.”

Colchester have also made fresh offers to Al-Amin Kazeem and Chay Cooper, who are out of contract this summer.