CREWE fans heard that hopes of holding onto Ryan Wintle are fading despite positive contract talks with two other key men.

Dave Artell told a virtual fans' forum tonight that the club does lay down careful plans to ensure players don't run down their contracts. But efforts to tie midfielder Wintle down to another deal at Gresty Road were, the manager felt, hampered by last year's lockdown.

Crewe will not receive a fee if the Stoke-on-Trent-born player moves on when he is out of contract in the summer, as he turns 24 in June.

In response to one supporter's question, the Alex boss was able to report positive news regarding talks with Omar Beckles and Mikael Mandron as preparations for next season are already well underway.

Artell hinted the club was "close with one and ongoing with another" with defender Beckles and frontman Mandron, both having signed initial one-year deals when they arrived last summer.

But Crewe's 2019/20 player-of-the-season Wintle appears ready to fly the nest six years after arriving as a raw recruit from Alsager Town.

He was persuaded to extend his stay at the club, when penning a two-year deal, in the final year of his contract in the summer of 2019, but it doesn't seem that Crewe will be able to repeat that trick.

"I would say if we'd have done anything different then lockdown didn't help. Could we have done something this time last year?" said Artell.

"But then lockdown happened and suddenly we were in October/November and there's six months left on the contract.

"Two to three years ago we got Charlie Kirk and James Jones to sign contracts at that time. But it is a continuing cycle and this year it's Ryan Wintle.

"We have got a contract planning strategy in place, but every now and then one will slip the net.

"We'd like to see all of these four players in a Crewe Alex shirt next season. We're working hard and we will keep pushing as hard as we can."

The forum also heard Alex Vice-Chairman Charles Grant admit that Blackburn had got "a bargain" signing current skipper Harry Pickering after the Championship side agreed to meet a buy-out clause previously agreed with the left-back (who has been loaned back to Crewe for the rest of the season).

"We agreed that with Pixie a while ago. The real bonus is that we've managed to get him to stay for the rest of the season. He's a terrific player and he's a credit to our football club," said the vice-chairman, who stressed Crewe would not have been under any immediate financial pressure had they not sold Pickering and Perry Ng, for whom Cardiff also triggered a release fee.

Fans also heard at the forum that plans are well advanced for the placement of a hi-tech scoreboard in place of the current clock at Gresty Road, helped by sponsorship and a deal with a local construction firm.

Some of the cost will be covered by proceeds from a newly-launched Red Lion Club which fans can join as members for £5 with £100 weekly prizes on offer.

Meanwhile, Chairman John Bowler, responding to a fan's question, said the club are waiting to read the report of the FA's inquiry into sexual abuse in football conducted by Clive Sheldon QC, which is expected to be published in the next month, before commenting on the "Barry Bennell affair".