Restless aces Rodney Rowe and Alan Pouton have spurned new deals at York City.

Fresh talks are now expected with the duo, who come out of contract with the Minstermen at the end of this month.

But while eager to keep them at Bootham Crescent manager Neil Thompson insisted there would have to be a 'stay or stray' cut-off point.

Declared the City boss: "At some stage between now and the start of the season I will be looking for a commitment from them and that will be to sign and be fully committed to York City."

If that pledge does not materialise then City will have to take their chances with a tribunal in determining any fee.

Just a fortnight ago Thompson announced that striker Rowe and midfielder Pouton had been offered new contracts seeing them into the Millennium. He said both were key components to his plans to get relegated City out of the Third Division.

Those fresh terms have, however, been rejected by the duo, for whom City will be entitled to transfer fees should one or both opt for pastures new under the Bosman ruling.

Thompson was not ruling out the prospect of either, or both, agreeing to stay on at Bootham Crescent.

"You have to accept with Bosman that players are going to turn down contracts these days," he said.

"Both Rowe and Pouton have turned down their initial offers - that's football, that's their prerogative. The ball is in their court, but we will be talking to both of them shortly to see what they are looking for.

"We offered them contracts because I want them to stay with the club."

But City will not enter in a drawn-out saga, he added.

"There has to come a point where you say 'right, come on lads, commit yourselves fully to the club'. That will help them and the club because we can then get on with the football."

If either, or both, Rowe and Pouton continue to say no then any other interested club would have to match City's valuation of the players, said Thompson.

"If they don't meet with our price then we will go to a tribunal and then that club has go agree a contract with the player," explained the City manager.

"There's a lot of ifs and buts in all that. And we have not had a single inquiry about anybody at the club."

The 23-year-old Rowe, last season's top scorer with eight goals after Richard Cresswell's departure to Sheffield Wednesday, finished the term as first-choice striker alongside Welsh 'B' international Marc Williams.

Pouton, a year younger, also figured in ten out of Thompson's 11-game caretaker reign. A dynamic attacker from midfielder his season was scarred by an ankle injury that kept him out for almost four months.

Thompson confirmed that further talks had been held between City and Notts County over transforming Chris Fairclough's loan spell at Bootham Crescent last season into a permanent move.

The former Leeds United and Tottenham defender has a year of his contract at County still to run.

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