What the sale of Ben Wiles could mean for Rotherham United boss Matt Taylor's recruitment budget

MANAGER Matt Taylor is hoping to use some of the proceeds of the Ben Wiles deal to fund a late Rotherham United recruitment flurry in the summer transfer window.

The Millers today sold their talented midfield to Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town for a fee believed to be in seven figures and have until deadline day next Friday to strengthen their Championship squad.

Rotherham are seeking to wrap up a loan signing before Saturday's visit of high-flying Leicester and then want to see around three more faces come through the door between now and the close of business.

"That's certainly the hope," said Taylor when asked if the Wiles move would boost the amount of money available to him. "Transfer fees are always staggered in terms of when payments are made so we're going to be limited in terms of what we can spend straight away.

"We were looking to strengthen before Ben's departure and we're certainly looking to do so now."

With more financial power at his disposal, the boss is now eyeing better-quality targets, saying: "Hopefully his sale will allow us to obtain a slightly different profile of player."

Reinforcing their frontline is the Millers' priority and they also want to add wide men, another centre-half and possibly, following Wiles' exit, a new midfielder to their squad.

Rotherham are sorry to see a product of their youth system leave but chose to sell rather than risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season when the 12-month contract extension they had exercised was due to expire.

It still irks Taylor, who took the hot-seat last October, that winger Chiedozie was allowed to run down his deal and sign for Premier League Luton Town for nothing at the beginning of July.

"We think it's the right thing for all parties," the manager said. "We certainly felt players left at the end of last season who might have had a better financial value for us if they had been under contract.

"With any player going into the last 12 months of his deal we've got to be really mindful of what the value is for keeping them as opposed to selling them."

The Millers have already made ten summer signings, including giving one-year deals to four players from last season's survival squad whose contracts had ended.

Looking ahead to next week, Taylor said: "It's big, but then it shouldn't be too big because of the way we've worked through the window, the way we've planned and prepared.

"We're really pleased with the business we've done so far but the squad is thin on the ground. We've also got injuries.

"We do need to strengthen. We've got two loan slots left (after the imminent arrival) and we might have to look at free transfers as well."