CHERRIES chairman Eddie Mitchell has moved to remind wantaway Wes Thomas that he is still under contract at Dean Court.
And Mitchell insists Birmingham City will have to splash the cash if they want to sign the unsettled striker.
The frontman has made no secret of his desire to quit Dean Court and is currently on loan at St Andrews until the end of the season.
In an interview with the Birmingham Mail, Thomas said: “This is a big club, without a doubt the biggest one I have played for.
“I’d be buzzing if the manager came to me at the end of the season and said he wanted to sign me. But it’s up to me – I have got to keep on scoring goals and keep on working hard.
“I have to work hard in every training session, do well in every game, to try to get a contract and prove, as a player, that I can do it at this level.”
But Mitchell told the Echo last night: “He is contracted to Bournemouth and if anybody else wants him, they are going to have to buy him.
“I don’t know whether Eddie Howe wants to include him next season or not but if he (Thomas) wants to go elsewhere, he might want to earn a contract, but he has got to get out of this one first.
“If he plays well and Birmingham fancy him, perhaps they will come in with a bid for him.”
Thomas took in temporary spells with Portsmouth and Blackpool before joining the Blues.
The 26-year-old is likely to attract interest from other Championship clubs as he looks for a permanent switch this summer.
But Thomas is still contracted to Cherries until 2014 after penning a two-and-a-half-year deal when he joined the club from Crawley Town.
Although boss Howe had been keen to give Thomas a chance to stake his claim following his brief stints with Portsmouth and Blackpool, the striker made it clear that he wanted to ply his trade elsewhere.
Asked when a decision could be made on Thomas’s future, Mitchell added: “That is up to Eddie. I would be listening to the bid but Eddie would be deciding if and when he would be available or not.
“But until we get a bid in, he is our player. End of story.”
Blues manager Lee Clark, meanwhile, told the BBC: “He is desperate to sign for this football club and I’m convinced he can score goals at this level.”
