Gudjon: I have to look after Crewe Alexandra FC

Gudjon says that the club just couldn't afford Dennis Lawrence's contract demands, despite Lawrence saying he 'wasn't being greedy'.

The former Swansea defender was snubbed by Gudjon last week after failing to agree contract terms for the 34 year old. It was a little surprise, with all signs previously pointing to Lawrence agreeing a deal with the club.

The snub seemed to upset Lawrence, who later told The Sentinel that his contract demands were not 'greedy:

'It's important people understand I wasn't trying to be greedy.

'I've not heard a word from the manager since he offered me the captaincy and involved me in his planning for next season. If that is the sort of man he is, then perhaps he has done me a favour.'

Today Gudjon revealed his side of the story, whilst remaining very complimentary towards Lawrence. Speaking to CreweAlex.net, Thordarson said that if he agreed to what Lawrence's agent wanted then he may have been limited to what he could do in the transfer market for the rest of the summer.

'People need to be aware of the reality of the situation. If I cannot pay what players are asking then we move on. It is as simple as that. Dennis' agent was asking for a certain amount and I couldn't agree to it. That was as far as it went.

'I have to look after Crewe Alexandra Football Club. That is who I work for and I will not rip up my budget to satisfy the demands of one or two players. I won't do that because I have to be careful with the money I have and I will not upset my players by paying someone more than what I think he is worth.

'Maybe the quality I am looking for is too high sometimes but we have to try. I tried with Dennis but we couldn't come close to a deal, so as I said last week you move on from that and go for another one.

'If I cannot pay what they want, what can I do about it?'

But with The Alex struggling to piece together a worthwhile defence, at what cost is the snub of Lawrence?

Whilst Gudjon has to remain in budget we are fastly approaching the new season and the squad depth is dire. With the departure of right back John Brayford also expected soon, we could be left in a very sticky situation with the season only one month away. We need some signings and quick.