A former Premier League player plus a top-flight youngster ... Rotherham United poised to start recruitment

A permanent deal for a left-sided player is nearing completion and, providing there are no late snags, an announcement could come early next week.

The League One Millers are also in talks with a young midfielder from a Premier League side about a season-long loan move to AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Manager Paul Warne had a Zoom meeting with him last week and was planning to speak to his club again this week.

The first target, who has Premier League experience, can play as a winger or full-back and has been with a Championship team for the last few seasons.

“If it happens, he will give us something else down the left side,” Warne said.

The boss is away in Hungary on a boot camp with his first-team squad this week but isn’t letting that hinder his recruitment efforts.

Target number two has yet to make a top-flight appearance for his club but has loan experience further down the pyramid.

“He’s a competitive midfielder, a good athlete, a bit of a leader,” Warne said. “He’s someone I have liked for a long time.

“The head of the academy there is one of my very good friends. He’d never recommended me a player before but he did in this case.

“We’ve been watching him and we’ve had a chat. As always, we’ve told him to go away and do his research on us.”

The Millers have increased the bids they had made for a defender and a utility player, the boss revealed.

Meanwhile, midfielder Matt Crooks has condemned the booing that took place when the Rotherham and Parkgate FC took the knee at Roundwood last Saturday before their pre-season friendly.

There were a couple of minor outbreaks, although other spectators applauded the players’ actions.

Relating it to the racist comments directed at the black England players who missed penalties in Sunday’s Euro 2020 Final, Crooks posted on his Twitter account the following message:

“The online abuse is further proof of the society we still find ourselves in and why we as individuals and a squad took the knee again on Saturday. To hear booing was disheartening and frankly embarrassing and I urge those who did to open their eyes, ears and hearts.”

The Millers were playing a friendly last night (Wednesday) against Hungarian side III. Keruleti TVE and fly back to England on Sunday ahead of pre-season matches at Rochdale and Harrogate Town next Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Wolves left wing-back Ryan Giles, who spent the second half of last season with Rotherham, has joined Cardiff City on loan for the Bluebirds’ 2021/22 Championship campaign.

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ROTHERHAM United have told clubs who are trying to take some of their fringe men on the cheap: ‘Show us your money.’

Teams have made approaches for players who haven’t been first-team regulars with the Millers.

But manager Paul Warne says there will be no cut-price departures from AESSEAL New York Stadium.

“A couple of clubs have enquired about a couple of our players and taking them on free transfers,” he said. “That isn’t happening.

“They won’t be leaving unless the clubs make us offers that are acceptable.”