Claus Jorgensen has turned down City's contract offer.

The club will now struggle to hang on to the free-scoring midfielder, who has attracted interest with his form since Christmas.

Boss Nicky Law said: "His agent explained that the offer we've made isn't sufficient. He's going to be off in the next couple of weeks talking to other clubs.

"It's disappointing but the offer has been made. I've gone to the maximum I can and if the answer is no, there's nothing I can do."

Law, though, has not given up on constructing a deal to keep Peter Atherton for another season.

He added: "The figures we've talked about are not what he was expecting. But he is still showing interest and would even possibly come back, so I'm still really hopeful we can do something."

City bow out tomorrow against champions Portsmouth in front of their biggest home crowd of the season.

More than 18,500 tickets had been sold by yesterday tea-time, easily dwarfing the previous best of 14,575 for the Stoke game on Boxing Day.

Law has added 17-year-old full back Jake Wright to the squad as he continues to blood the club's young talent. But he will resist the temptation to throw in too many rookies.

"I would love to chuck four or five in but I don't want the game to be a farce. The lads might come up with a bit of a surprise with their endeavour, energies and work-rate upsetting the likes of Tim Sherwood and Paul Merson.

"Hopefully I can get Jake on for some part because I really believe I need to be looking at the youngsters. The experience of just being there is great but to get on is something else. Tom Penford has already cemented my thoughts that he is going to be a good player."