ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights has refused to confirm whether speedy midfielder Andrew Lovett has a future at Windy Hill.

It was reported by a TV network on Friday night that Lovett had been told he would be traded at season's end, but Knights was coy when asked about the 25-year-old's direction after the 46-point loss to the Western Bulldogs.

Lovett has now played 65 games with the Bombers, and had 19 possessions against the Bulldogs, but his ability has been soured by a history of off-field issues that have most recently included missed training sessions.

"Andrew's a contracted player, so basically there's no definitive decisions made with a player that's under contract," Knights said.

" I talk to all of my players ongoing and those discussions are for me and Andrew behind closed doors. I’m not buying into any speculation of trading.

"Andrew's got a contract and we’ll deal with whatever's on the horizon when the time comes."

While Knights confirmed he had spoken with Lovett, he would not reveal any details of the discussion.

"I’ve spoken to Andrew about how the year's gone and also where we're heading as a club, but discussions of future are between Andrew and myself," he said.

"I’m not sure it is fair on any of our players to discuss futures in public, particularly when they’ve got a year contract to run."