Wolverhampton Wanderers are to hand Paul Ince an ultimatum over his unsigned contract.

Despite having publicly stated his intention to sign on for a fourth season at Molineux, the Wolves skipper has yet to put pen to paper.

Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey is anxious to keep the former England midfielder in the fold but Wolves do not want a repeat of last season?s highly distracting scenario when Ince did not sign until the first week of pre-season training, a factor in Wolves? under-prepared start to such a frustrating Championship campaign.

?I?m still confident he can give us one more season to get us back up to the Premiership,? said Moxey. ?But we start back in pre-season training on June 27 which is less than four weeks away. And it?s important that he makes his mind up.

?We?ve made a very good offer and we hope he stays, but we won?t let this drag on for much longer.

?Glenn Hoddle has been prepared to cut him some slack by saying, ?I took my time, so likewise I can?t expect an immediate answer?.

?But we?re getting to the point where I?ll be saying to his agent Steve Kutner in the next three or four days it?s time to put up - ?do you want it or not??

?I?ve been chasing them to put offers to them but Paul?s been hard to get hold of. One week he?s in Portugal, then he?s at his house, then he?s away in Italy.

?I?ve had an email from his agent saying that he wants to come back and for us just to give them just a couple more days, but we have to know.?

While Ince again keeps Wolves waiting, the club have at least been able to make one decision over the whereabouts next season of Portuguese winger Silas.

The #1.5 million pre-Premiership signing, who spent the whole of last season out on loan back in Portugal with Maritmo, has agreed a further season?s loan with another Portuguese top-flight side Belenenses. Wolves have also added a year?s option to their existing two-year deal to further enhance their selling power, should any side come in with an offer to buy him.

The new arrangement also allows some flexibility over the next 12 months for Hoddle who has left-wing rival Mark Kennedy coming to the end of his four-year contract at the end of the 2006 season.

If the Wolves boss likes what he sees when he travels over to Portugal to take a closer look at Silas, then there is even still the chance that he might add to his scant collection of just two league starts in a Wolves shirt.

?We?re in pole position,? said Moxey. ?We?ve got Silas to agree that we hold the right to extend his contract beyond the end of next season.

?What that does is give us the opportunity to secure a transfer fee at the end of next season or take him back if we want to, free of charge.

?We are protecting our interests with him. Belenenses have an option to buy him at any time for the money we paid for him, #1.5 million. And Boavista are also interested. But it also gives Glenn the chance to go out and see him more regularly so he can make a judgement over whether we might keep him the following year.?