BARROW AFC manager Paul Cox may be a wanted man – but the Bluebirds have warned potential suitors they will have to pay up if they want to lure him away.

Cox has been linked with vacancies at Football League sides Notts County and Stevenage and AFC’s National League rivals Lincoln City.

Holker Street chief executive officer Austin Straker said there had been no official contact with the club from any other team and Cox had not reported any approaches to them either.

Cox echoed those words, saying any approach would have to be made through club owner Paul Casson, whose decision it would be on whether it went any further.

Straker told prospective employers they would have to pay a substantial sum to buy out the contract of a man Casson brought to Barrow in November as a replacement for Darren Edmondson.

“There has been no official contact at all,” said Straker. “We’ve not been told by Paul Cox that there has been any approach through him or his agent either, which shouldn’t happen anyway.

“There have been several clubs mentioned – Stevenage, Lincoln – but as far as we are aware, nothing has been said officially.”

He added: “There is a buyout clause in his contract. He has another three years left on his contract and the clause is there to protect him in the same way as with Darren Edmondson, but it is also there to protect ourselves – we think he is the right man for the job.”

The amount which would be owed to AFC should Cox be poached by a rival club would not amount to the whole of his remaining three-year contract, but rather an unspecified set percentage of that sum.

Cox recognised Barrow’s form since he took over in November – helping them climb away from a relegation battle to the top half of the table – was bound to result in speculation about his future.

But he said there was no truth to suggestions he had been approached, and added: “With these kind of things, we have been on a good run of form and it’s the same as when you’ve been on a bad run of form and people think you’re going to get the sack.

“I suppose it’s nice that people are linking me with jobs, but as far as I’m concerned, anyone who wants to get in touch has to get in touch with Paul Casson.

“Speculation is speculation and at the minute that’s all it is.”

Asked if there had been any approach, he said: “No. None whatsoever.”

Straker also confirmed the club were still waiting to hear from star striker Andy Cook about a new deal offered to him last week.

Cook has attracted attention from teams higher up the footballing pyramid – thought to include Carlisle United and Hartlepool – but AFC have put together a contract set to make him their highest-paid player.

Barrow would like to have a response from the 26-year-old – who has 23 goals to his name this season – before Saturday’s final match of the National League campaign against Wrexham.

“Watch this space for the next couple of days,” said Straker.