EAGLES boss Dougie Freedman insists he will not break the bank to secure the signature of Neil Danns.

Palace maintained their Championship status at the weekend, allowing Freedman to start to look ahead to next season with a clearer idea of the budget which will be available to him.

The manager explained: “Obviously I can start planning for next year regarding general stuff around the training ground and obviously the players and looking at how we got ourselves into this situation and trying not to do it again.”

Near the top of his wish list to ensure that 2011/12 doesn’t become another struggle for survival is nine-goal Danns, who is out of contract and yet to sign a new deal.

But Freedman won’t risk the club to get his man.

He insisted: “I’ve told Neil Danns he’s got a contract in front of him and it’s up to him to take it or leave it.

“I won’t put the club in a financial situation where we’re bending backwards to sign players.

“I’ll make sure that we try to keep to a pay structure that doesn’t put the club into administration again and that’s what I’ve told Neil Danns.

“He’s a fantastic lad and to be fair he’s given his all for this club, so I’ve put a contract in front of him and it’s up to him to take it.

“If he doesn’t, then unfortunately he will move on. If he does, then brilliant.”

However, Danns himself was keen to play down suggestions he had been given any ultimatum by the club this lunchtime on Twitter.

He wrote: "Just to clear up all this paper speculation, Dougie or the chairman have not given me no ultimatums to me personally, so just more rumours."

But while the Palace manager cannot say with any confidence who will be signing over the summer, he does know that those players will have to conform to his wage structure.

He added: “I’m not confident of doing anything at the moment, I’m just confident of staying in the division.

“I will make sure that the clubs financial situation comes first and foremost and then if any player can buy into that, then we can move onto the next question.

“I want to get to a situation with a lot of youngsters where we’ll be talking about football and not just about money.”

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