Joey Barton said he hopes Fleetwood can resolve past "issues" with Ashley Nadesan so that the ex-Carlisle loan striker will sign a new deal.

Barton has stressed that he wants to keep Nadesan beyond this summer, when his current deal runs out.

Carlisle had Nadesan on loan for the first half of this season and failed in an 11th-hour attempt to bring him back on January's transfer deadline day.

United remain interested in the 24-year-old's availability but Barton wants the former non-league hitman - who scored his first Fleetwood goal against Burton last wekeend - to stay.

Speaking in The Gazette, Barton said: "I hope he renews his contract and is a part of what we are trying to build here. He has been a positive member of our squad.

“Andy Pilley [Fleetwood chairman] has put a lot of faith in him. He was working at McDonald’s until Fleetwood brought him into the league and gave him a platform.

“I don’t think there has always been great care taken in his development.

“There may be some issues to be resolved [from] before my time here. We have tried to do the right thing by him – let him out on loan to build his confidence and get him football.

“He has done that, come back, made a great impact for us and we are keen to sit down and have a conversation with him.

"My thoughts and feelings on that are that we should move it along.”

United made what they described as a "significant" offer to try and secure Nadesan for the second half of the season.

After Fleetwood knocked back the bid, director of football David Holdsworth said Carlisle would "ask the question again in the future should Ashley become available."

The former Horley Town man scored nine goals in 28 appearances for United this campaign, having hit four in 15 outings in his first Blues loan spell last season.

He has made eight appearances since returning to his parent club last month.