A club can show interest in a player, and a player can inturn show interest in a club whether or not they are under a contract, or before June 30. Whilst a club cant call a player and say, how bout you play for us next year...they can call the players manager and say "we want him to play here next year" and the manager can then tell his client and the client can say "well i'd like to" etc etc...and eventually people become linked to other clubs.
Now possibly this is why we are linked to Orford (we know he has had discussion with Brian), and why Dykes and Witt are rumoured to be leaving...